"Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old war-horse at the sound of a trumpet"- Charles Darwin
Beetles are undoubtedly one of the most diverse organisms on Earth, with a group that has the most described species (close to 400,000) and a wide array of exquisite morphology and design. One beetle species in particular, Prionus laticollis, is the main focus of this webpage. P. laticollis, also known as the broad-necked root borer, is a beetle that belongs to the family Cerambycidae. This family includes long-horned beetles that typically have very long antennae relative to their body length.
Life history of P. laticollis
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P. laticollis adults can range in size from two to about five centimeters (Bugguide). P. laticollis larvae are known to feed on apple tree roots and other fruit tree roots, while the adults emerge in the summertime (peaking in mid-July) to mate and live for about one week. In addition, both larvae and adults typically feed at night (Benham and Farrar 1976). Even though populations of this beetle do not usually reach high amounts compared to other pest species, each year P. laticollis larvae have the capacity to cause damage to apple trees in the state of New York (Agnello et al. 2011).
P. laticollis should also not be confused with another similar looking Cerambycid, the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), which is a major pest of many different hardwood trees. The ALB can be distinguished from P. laticollis in that the ALB has white spots across its elytra, the wing coverings of beetles, and P. laticollis lacks these white spots. P. laticollis adult females also lay their eggs under the soil, using a very conspicuous ovipositor, an egg laying organ typically seen in wasps. Newly hatched larvae can then burrow many centimeters underground (Benham and Farrar 1976).
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An adult female Broad-necked root borer that I found near Cornell University, Ithaca.
© Anthony Polyakov
Story of my encounter with P. laticollis at CornellJust as Darwin was thrilled to hear of rare beetles being captured, I was so excited when I accidentally stumbled across this magnificent beetle pictured above. It was late August of 2017 and I decided to go out for a walk near the lake Beebe trail on the Cornell University campus to collect insects. As I was walking, I would sometimes glance at the ground on either side of the trail. In one moment, a huge, dark object caught my eye. When I took a closer look, I was amazed that such a large Cerambycid beetle could be found in New York. Even though this beetle seems to be commonly found across the Eastern U.S, It was the first time in my life that I came across such a beetle, a rare sight in my eyes.
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This map of the U.S displays range data P. laticollis collected from Buguide. However, in reality the range of this beetle could be greater than what the Bugguide map shows. The states that are darker in color indicate areas where P. laticollis has been observed.
Distribution: where can P. laticollis be found?
In terms of its distribution, P. laticollis can be found across the eastern United States in forest environments (Bugguide). From the Cornell University insect collection (CUIC), it's interesting to note that the oldest recorded specimen of P. laticollis found in Ithaca, NY, dates back to July 12th, 1920! I counted about 30 specimens of this beetle that were found either in Ithaca or some other location in New York from the CUIC. For those who are interested in finding this beetle near the Cornell campus, the deciduous forest near Beebe lake would be a good location.
In terms of its distribution, P. laticollis can be found across the eastern United States in forest environments (Bugguide). From the Cornell University insect collection (CUIC), it's interesting to note that the oldest recorded specimen of P. laticollis found in Ithaca, NY, dates back to July 12th, 1920! I counted about 30 specimens of this beetle that were found either in Ithaca or some other location in New York from the CUIC. For those who are interested in finding this beetle near the Cornell campus, the deciduous forest near Beebe lake would be a good location.
Webpage by Anthony Polyakov, department of entomology, Cornell University
References
1. Agnello, Arthur M., Lea Loizos, and Dan Gilrein. "A new pheromone for Prionus root-boring beetles." NY Fruit Q. 19 (2011): 17-19.
2. Benham, Gerald S., and Richard J. Farrar. "Notes on the biology of Prionus laticollis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)." The Canadian Entomologist 108.6 (1976): 569-576.
3. Maine.gov Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry. ALB Resource Page.
4. Bugguide
References
1. Agnello, Arthur M., Lea Loizos, and Dan Gilrein. "A new pheromone for Prionus root-boring beetles." NY Fruit Q. 19 (2011): 17-19.
2. Benham, Gerald S., and Richard J. Farrar. "Notes on the biology of Prionus laticollis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)." The Canadian Entomologist 108.6 (1976): 569-576.
3. Maine.gov Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry. ALB Resource Page.
4. Bugguide
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