''Xylotrechus quadripes'' is a species of
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
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 characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than ...
. It was described by the French entomologist
Auguste Chevrolat in 1863. In peninsular India, it is well known for its habit of boring through the stems of
coffee plants in plantations and is considered a pest and known by the common name coffee white stem borer. Because the larvae damage the plant while being hidden inside the woody stems, it is extremely difficult to control. The control of shade over the coffee bushes however reduces the incidence.
![Xylotrechus_quadripes_FBI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Xylotrechus_quadripes_FBI.jpg)
Males have the hind femur extending beyond the tip of the elytra while females have them falling short. Females have a single raised line or carina on the head while males have a median carina with two lateral ones on each side.
References
Xylotrechus
Beetles described in 1863
Agricultural pest insects
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