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The Rosalia longicorn (''Rosalia alpina'') or Alpine longhorn beetle, is a large longicorn (family Cerambycidae) that is distinguished by its distinctive markings.
The Rosalia longicorn is long. The antennae can be up to twice as long as the rest of the body in males, and the same length in females. The elytra are flat, blue-gray, with variable black spots, including a prominent one on the thorax, a silky one in front, and a small one in back. Both the antennae and the legs have the same coloration as the body. The coloration serves as good camouflage with their preferred habitat, the European Beech.
They are distributed from Cantabrian Mountains east to Caucasus. Its numbers across Europe has greatly depleted in recent years, and it is a protected species in Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia.
The adults are active from June to September. By day the beetles sit near flowers and feed on the
ARKive page, with a number of photos
LIFE Rosalia: Rosalia Alpina
Compsocerini Beetles of Europe Beetles described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Compsocerini-stub
Description
The Rosalia longicorn is long. The antennae can be up to twice as long as the rest of the body in males, and the same length in females. The elytra are flat, blue-gray, with variable black spots, including a prominent one on the thorax, a silky one in front, and a small one in back. Both the antennae and the legs have the same coloration as the body. The coloration serves as good camouflage with their preferred habitat, the European Beech.
They are distributed from Cantabrian Mountains east to Caucasus. Its numbers across Europe has greatly depleted in recent years, and it is a protected species in Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia.
The adults are active from June to September. By day the beetles sit near flowers and feed on the pollen
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...
. They make a chirping sound by scraping their rear legs and elytra together. After mating, the female lays the eggs within a crack in the bark of beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
trees. The larvae eat the bark and pupate there as well when it has reached about three years of age. The mature adult emerges from the pupa and then have a further lifespan of three to six weeks.
Rosalia longicorn is the logo of Danube-Ipoly National Park
Danube-Ipoly National Park is one of the most diverse national parks in Hungary.
Background
In 1997, the park was created from Pilis and Börzsöny national parks, with the addition of part of the floodplain of the River Ipoly. This park encomp ...
in Hungary.
References
External links
* *ARKive page, with a number of photos
LIFE Rosalia: Rosalia Alpina
Compsocerini Beetles of Europe Beetles described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Compsocerini-stub