''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of

long-horned beetle 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 characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than ...

s, found primarily on Pacific islands, including

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

, the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

, and

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the

giant Fijian long-horned beetle The giant Fijian long-horned beetle (''Xixuthrus '') is native to the island of Viti Levu in Fiji, and is one of the largest living insect species, with specimens around 15 cm long, excluding legs, antennae, or jaws. It is closely related t ...

and the

Taveuni beetle The Taveuni beetle (''Xixuthrus terribilis'') is known from the island of Taveuni in the Fiji, and is one of the largest living insect species, with specimens around 14 cm long, excluding legs, antennae, or mandibles. It is closely related ...

. These beetles have powerful jaws, and should be handled with care when alive. No scientists have yet seen a

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

of this genus, although in Fiji, where three different species occur, the natives consider them to be a rare and special delicacy.

Systematics

The genus ''Xixuthrus'' is currently dividend in two subgenera: ''Xixuthrus'' s. str. and ''Daemonarthra'' Lameere, 1903.Xixuthrus
/ref>
The latter differs from the former in the apically acute (rather than rounded) lobes of the third tarsal segment. Subgenus ''Xixuthrus''

Thomson Thomson may refer to: Names * Thomson (surname), a list of people with this name and a description of its origin * Thomson baronets, four baronetcies created for persons with the surname Thomson Businesses and organizations * SGS-Thomson Mic ...

, 1864 * '' Xixuthrus arfakianus'' ( Lansberge, 1884) * '' Xixuthrus axis'' Thomson, 1877 * '' Xixuthrus bufo'' Thomson, 1878 * '' Xixuthrus costatus'' (Montrouzier, 1855) * ''

Xixuthrus domingoensis ''Xixuthrus domingoensis'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae endemic to the Dominican Republic. Taxonomy It has also been classified in the genus '' Mecosarthron'', but this assignment has been challenged, with evidence both for ...

'' Fisher 1932 * '' Xixuthrus fominykhi'' Titarenko & Zubov 2018 * '' Xixuthrus ganglbaueri'' Lameere, 1912 * '' Xixuthrus granulipennis'' Komiya, 2000 * ''

Xixuthrus gressitti ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' Marazzi, Marazzi & Komiya, 2006 * ''

Xixuthrus heros The giant Fijian long-horned beetle (''Xixuthrus '') is native to the island of Viti Levu in Fiji, and is one of the largest living insect species, with specimens around 15 cm long, excluding legs, antennae, or jaws. It is closely related ...

'' (Gräffe, 1868) * ''

Xixuthrus jakli ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' Titarenko & Zubov 2018 * ''

Xixuthrus lameerei ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' Marazzi, Marazzi & Komiya, 2006 * ''

Xixuthrus lansbergei ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' (Lameere, 1912) * ''

Xixuthrus lunicollis ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' Lansberge 1884 * ''

Xixuthrus microcerus ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' (White, 1853) * ''

Xixuthrus nycticorax ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' Thomson, 1878 * ''

Xixuthrus penrousi ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' Titarenko & Zubov, 2018 * ''

Xixuthrus pinkeri ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' Titarenko & Zubov, 2018 * ''

Xixuthrus sapolsky ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetl ...

'' Titarenko & Zubov, 2018 * ''

Xixuthrus solomonensis ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific Ocean, Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian lon ...

'' Marazzi & Marazzi, 2006 * '' Xixuthrus stumpei'' Titarenko & Zubov, 2018 * '' Xixuthrus terribilis''

, 1877 * '' Xixuthrus thomsoni'' Marazzi, Marazzi & Komiya, 2006 Subgenus ''Daemonarthra'' Lameere, 1903 * '' Xixuthrus helleri'' (Lameere, 1903)

References

External links

*
Gallery of ''Xixuthrus''-species
In Russian but excellent images of several members of this genus. Locality information in English. Prioninae Cerambycidae genera {{Prioninae-stub