Monochamus

Monochamus is a genus of longhorn beetles found throughout the world. They are commonly known as sawyer beetles or sawyers, as their larvae bore into dead or dying trees, especially conifers[1] such as pines. They are the type genus of the Monochamini, a tribe in the huge long-horned beetle subfamily Lamiinae, but typically included in the Lamiini today.

Monochamus
Monochamus galloprovincialis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Cerambycidae
Subfamily: Lamiinae
Tribe: Lamiini
Genus: Monochamus
Dejean, 1821

If sawyer beetles infect freshly cut pine logs, they can cause a 30–40% loss in value due to the tunnels their larvae bore. It is important to process logs within a few weeks of cutting or store them in water to minimize damage.[2] Some species are known to transport phoretic Bursaphelenchus nematodes, including B. xylophilus which causes pine wilt disease.[3]

Species
Notable sawyer (M. notatus)
Spotted pine sawyer (M. mutator)

Listed alphabetically:[4]

Species brought into synonymy

Three pictures of two separate sawyers found in a planting of Scots pines in Kansas.

References
  1. The Free Dictionary (TFD) (2008): Genus Monochamus. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  2. Douglas Allen, "Sawyer Beetles", New York Forest Owner, May 1994
  3. Kansas State University Extension Horticulture (KSU-EH) (2005): Pine Wilt Archived 14 August 1997 at Archive.today. Version of 28 February 2005. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  4. Savela, Markku. "Monochamus Dejean, 1821". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms.
  5. John Acorn and Ian Sheldon. Bugs of Ontario. Edmonton, AB:Lone Pine Publ., 2003.
  6. Spruce Sawyer, Insects of Alberta
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.