Cerambyx cerdo

Cerambyx cerdo, commonly known as the great capricorn beetle or cerambyx longicorn, is a species of beetle in family Cerambycidae. It occurs in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia), Europe (Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine), and Asia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Turkey).[1]

Cerambyx cerdo
Male (left) and Female (right)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Cerambycidae
Genus: Cerambyx
Species:
C. cerdo
Binomial name
Cerambyx cerdo
European distribution of C. cerdo
Synonyms
  • Cerambyx acuminatus
  • Hammaticherus pfisteri

The beetle was previously present in the United Kingdom but went locally extinct at least hundreds of years ago. Preserved specimens have been found in the UK, having been dated to around 4000 years old.[2][3]

Description

This beetle measures between 41 and 55 mm in body length and is among the largest of the European beetle species. It has an elongated, robust body and, like all members of the longhorn family, it has long antennae. In males, these thread-like antennae are longer than the body, but in females they are only as long as the hard wing cases (the elytra). The legs and body are black, except for the elytra which are reddish-brown towards the tips.[4]

Photogallery
  • Male specimen
    Male specimen
  • Female specimen
    Female specimen
  • Front view of a female
    Front view of a female

References
  1. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Cerambyx cerdo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T4166A10503380. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T4166A10503380.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. Osterloff, Emily. "Out of the woodwork: the great capricorn beetle". nhm.ac.uk. Natural History Museum. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  3. Amos, Jonathan (28 January 2021). "Bog beetles finally reveal their remarkable age". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  4. "Cerambyx longicorn (Cerambyx cerdo)". ARKive. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008.
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