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Post by yeah1526 on Sept 28, 2011 1:34:10 GMT -8
can anyone please tell me a, what this is b, is it poisonous or venomous, or does it carry any sort of poison c, is it ok to feed it to a southern angle headed dragon (Hypsilurus spinipes) found in south east suburban australia in spring time. cheers! Attachments:
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Post by thanos on Sept 28, 2011 1:52:14 GMT -8
a. For sure a Cerambycidae. Post a more clear photo -then I could examine it and tell you the species.
b. NO .
c. As a larva,it's xylophagous (feeding on wood of trees). As an adult doesn't eat.
Thanos
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Post by lucanidae25 on Sept 28, 2011 2:03:20 GMT -8
It's a Phoracantha sp and it's safe to feed it to your Hypsilurus spinipes.
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Post by bichos on Sept 28, 2011 3:37:32 GMT -8
Looks like a female of P. synonyma
btw c. is in reference to a lizard eating the beetle and as Ray points out "yes can do".
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Post by yeah1526 on Sept 28, 2011 3:39:15 GMT -8
a. For sure a Cerambycidae. Post a more clear photo -then I could examine it and tell you the species. b. NO . c. As a larva,it's xylophagous (feeding on wood of trees). As an adult doesn't eat. Thanos heres the clearer image, thanks. Attachments:
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Post by bichos on Sept 28, 2011 4:55:25 GMT -8
yep  Phorocantha synonyma NEWMAN, 1840. In other words a longicorn beetle |
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Post by thanos on Sept 28, 2011 13:33:59 GMT -8
Yes,now it's clear that is a female of Phoracantha synonyma. I had in my mind the Phoracantha. You have quite many species in Australia in this genus(xylophagous on Eucalyptus as larvae),but this exact shape of the black areas on the elytra is unique for this species. The first photo was quite fainted and liked to see one like the second you posted,so to examine the shape of elytral patterns and be sure 100% for the identification.
About your c. question, lol, I read it very quickly and didn't understand that you want to feed it to a lizard ! So I told you about the biology of these beetles. Yes,of course you can do it safely,as the others said. It's not poisonous at all.
Thanos
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Post by downundermoths on Sept 28, 2011 14:08:58 GMT -8
ROFL
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Post by thanos on Sept 28, 2011 14:21:51 GMT -8
btw, the correct latinic name of the genus is Phoracantha (not Phorocantha). It comes from the Greek : Phero(=I have)/Phoreas(=the one who has something) + acantha(=spine, -the ones on the elytral apices). Thanos |
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Post by bichos on Sept 29, 2011 4:24:47 GMT -8
Oh! good one Thanos, thanks  I gotta come back with an image now yes this species does feed on Eucalyptus female on the left Attachments:
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Post by bichos on Sept 29, 2011 4:30:41 GMT -8
out of interest Phoracantha punctata feeds on acacia one of the few that does not feed on Eucalyptus, it often gets confused for the more common P. semipunctata. Attachments:
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Post by thanos on Sept 29, 2011 16:40:50 GMT -8
Nice pairs,bichos.
Introduced from Australia, we have 2 species of Phoracantha here in the Mediterranean region (recurva + semipunctata).These 2 can be serious Eucalyptus pests in some Mediterranean countries. But in Greece,I have found only P.recurva and only once. It seems to be rare here and not a pest(of Eucalyptus) like it (together with synonyma,semipunctata and other species of this genus) is in Australia,(or in other mediterranean European counties together with semipunctata,as mentioned above).
Thanos
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Post by yeah1526 on Sept 30, 2011 7:06:42 GMT -8
thanks for all your help everyone. ill post a pic when i feed it to lizards  |
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Post by yeah1526 on Sept 30, 2011 18:25:43 GMT -8
end result. Attachments:
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Post by bichos on Sept 30, 2011 19:57:09 GMT -8
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Phorocantha synonyma NEWMAN, 1840.
