''Moneilema'', or cactus longhorn beetles are a genus of large, flightless, black beetles found in North American deserts of the western
United States and northern
Mexico. '' M. gigas'' is native to the Sonoran desert at elevations below 4900 feet (1500m).
The front wings of these beetles are fused forming a single, hardened shell, from which the genus derives its Latin name. The genus includes twenty species.
Longhorn cactus beetles feed on chollas and prickly pear cacti, and are known to feed on saguaro seedlings. Larvae bore into cactus roots and stems, sometimes killing more susceptible individuals. Adults also feed on the surface of cacti.
Most ''Moneilema'' species are active during mid or late summer - the adults typically emerging during the summer monsoon season. Some ''Moneilema'' species in central and southern Mexico are reported to be active all year.
Like many flightless beetles, these beetles have limited wing musculature with a rounded abdomen and thorax, similar in appearance to a number of other flightless desert beetles. Cactus longhorn beetles resemble and mimic the behavior of noxious stink beetles in the genus ''
Eleodes
''Eleodes'' is a genus of darkling beetles, family Tenebrionidae. They are commonly known as pinacate beetles or desert stink beetles. They are endemic to western North America, with many species found in the Sonoran Desert. The name ''pinacate ...
''.
Species
The genus includes 20 species:
*''
Moneilema albopictum
''Moneilema'', or cactus longhorn beetles are a genus of large, flightless, black beetles found in North American deserts of the western United States and northern Mexico. '' M. gigas'' is native to the Sonoran desert at elevations below 4900 fee ...
''
(White, 1856)
*''
Moneilema annulatum
''Moneilema annulatum'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae.Bezark, Larry GA Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World. Retrieved on 7 July 2012. It was described by Say
Say may refer to:
Music
*''Say'' (album), 200 ...
''
(Say, 1824)
*''
Moneilema appressum''
(LeConte, 1852)
*''
Moneilema armatum
''Moneilema armatum'' is a species of flat-faced longhorn in the family of beetles known as Cerambycidae. It is found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The flightless beetles often feed on prickly pear cactus, boring into t ...
''
(LeConte, 1853)
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Moneilema aterrimum
''Moneilema aterrimum'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae.Bezark, Larry GA Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World. Retrieved on 7 July 2012. It was described by Fisher in 1931.
References
Moneilemini
Beetle ...
''
(Fisher, 1931)
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Moneilema blapsides
''Moneilema blapsides'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae.Bezark, Larry GA Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World. Retrieved on 7 July 2012. It was described by Newman in 1838.
References
Moneilemini
Beetle ...
''
(Newman, 1838)
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Moneilema crassipes''
(Fisher, 1931)
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Moneilema ebeninum
''Moneilema ebeninum'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characte ...
''
(Bates, 1885)
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Moneilema gigas
''Moneilema gigas'', Pima County, Arizona
''Moneilema gigas'', Pima County, Arizona
''Moneilema gigas'' is a large, flightless, black beetle native to the Sonoran desert at elevations below 1500 metres. The front wings are fused forming a ...
''
(LeConte, 1873)
*''
Moneilema longipes
''Moneilema longipes'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae.Bezark, Larry GA Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World. Retrieved on 7 July 2012. It was described by White in 1856.
References
Moneilemini
Beetles ...
''
(White, 1856)
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Moneilema manni''
(Psota, 1930)
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Moneilema mexicanum
''Moneilema mexicanum'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are charact ...
''
(Fisher, 1926)
*''
Moneilema michelbacheri
''Moneilema michelbacheri'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are cha ...
''
(Linsley, 1942)
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Moneilema opuntiae
''Moneilema opuntiae'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characte ...
''
(Fisher, 1928)
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Moneilema punctipennis
''Moneilema punctipennis'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are char ...
''
(Fisher, 1926)
*''
Moneilema rugosissimum
''Moneilema rugosissimum'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are char ...
''
(Casey, 1924)
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Moneilema semipunctatum
''Moneilema semipunctatum'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae.[Moneilema subrugosum
''Moneilema subrugosum'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are charac ...]
''
(Bland, 1862)
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Moneilema variolare
''Moneilema variolare'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are charact ...
''
(Thomson, 1867)
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Moneilema wickhami
''Moneilema wickhami'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characte ...
''
(Psota, 1930)
References
External links
Range expansions in the flightless longhorn cactus beetlesEvolutionary Consequences of Dispersal Ability in Cactus-feeding Insects
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1615850
Beetles of North America
Cerambycidae genera