March 2026: Psyllotoxus Thomson, 1868Thomson, 1868:
Thomson J. 1868. Révision du groupe des oncidérites (Lamites, cérambycides, coléoptères). Physis Recueil d'Histoire Naturelle. 2(5):41–92. is no longer a valid genus; it was synonymized with Oncideres Lacordaire, 1830Lacordaire, 1830:
Lacordaire JT. 1830. Mémoire sur les habitudes des insectes coléoptères de l'Amérique méridionale. Annales Des Sciences Naturelles. 21:149–194. by Souza et al. (2024)Souza et al. (2024):
Souza DS, French RLK, Silva Jr. JO, Nearns EH, Marinoni L, Swift IP, Miller KB, Sperling FAH, Monné M. 2024. Cutting the sap: First molecular phylogeny of twig-girdler longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Onciderini) suggests shifts in host plant attack behaviours contributed to morphological evolution. Systematic Entomology. 502:369–389..
Elongate-oblong, small to moderate-sized, ranging from about 11–16 mm in length. Integument generally dark brown or black with whitish, ferrugineous, and ochraceous pubescence. Head with frons subquadrate to elongate, about as wide as width of three lower eye lobes. Eyes with lower lobes ovate-oblong. Genae elongate, about as tall or distinctly taller than lower eye lobes. Antennal tubercles prominent, moderately separated; tubercles not armed at apex or armed with a short, blunt horn. Antennae about as long as overall body length, or as much as twice as long; scape clavate, shorter than antennomere IV; antennomere III variable in shape and sexually dimorphic, from nearly straight to curved to sinuate (females) or strongly elliptical (males); antennomere III longer than scape and about as long or longer than antennomere IV; antennomere XI shorter than X (females) or longer than X (males). Pronotum transverse, roughly cylindrical to conical, distinctly narrower at base, with lateral tubercles; pronotal disk often with distinct glabrous area at center. Elytra with sides roughly parallel; elytral apices jointly rounded; elytra with distinct maculae; base of elytra with two prominent tubercles at humeri, often with several additional prominent, shiny tubercles. Basal 1/3 of elytra with dense punctation, surface granulate-punctate. Procoxae without projection or with an obtuse tubercle (males). Mesosternal process with apex subtruncate to feebly emarginate. Metafemora moderate to short in length, about 1/3–1/4 as long as elytra.
The combination of the following characters will help to distinguish this genus: moderately small eyes; widely separated; males with strongly elliptical antennomere III; pronotum with distinct lateral tubercles; and elytra with sides roughly parallel.
Superficially resembles Eudesmus, Lochmaeocles, and Oncideres.
South America (Brazil)
Fabaceae (Bauhinia sp.); Myrtaceae (Plinia cauliflora, Psidium guajava [guava], Syzygium cumini, S. jambos); Rosaceae (Malus sylvestris, Prunus domestica [plum], Prunus persica [peach], Pyrus communis [pear], Rosa sp.)
Members of this genus are known to girdle branches and Psyllotaxus griseocinctus is considered a pest species (Giacomel 1992Giacomel 1992:
Giacomel F. 1992. Morfologia e comportamento das formas imaturas de Psylotoxus melanospidus Giacomel (Coleotpera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia. 9(1/2):39–45.).
The genus Psyllotoxus currently contains two species: P. griseocinctus Thomson, 1868Thomson, 1868:
Thomson J. 1868. Révision du groupe des oncidérites (Lamites, cérambycides, coléoptères). Physis Recueil d'Histoire Naturelle. 2(5):41–92.; P. inexpectatus Martins and Galileo, 1990Martins and Galileo, 1990:
Martins UR, Galileo MHM. 1990. Onciderini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae): sinonimias, novos taxons, chaves e notas. Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia. 37(4):53–95..
More species images are available in the Gallery.
Bezark and Monné (2013)Bezark and Monné (2013):
Bezark LG, Monné MA. 2013. Checklist of the Oxypeltidae, Vesperidae, Disteniidae and Cerambycidae, (Coleoptera) of the Western Hemisphere., Dillon and Dillon (1945)Dillon and Dillon (1945):
Dillon LS, Dillon ES. 1945. The tribe Onciderini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Part I. Reading, Scientific Publications, Reading Public Museum and Art Gallery, Number 5. 186 pp., Giacomel (1992)Giacomel (1992):
Giacomel F. 1992. Morfologia e comportamento das formas imaturas de Psylotoxus melanospidus Giacomel (Coleotpera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia. 9(1/2):39–45., Martins and Galileo (1990)Martins and Galileo (1990):
Martins UR, Galileo MHM. 1990. Onciderini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae): sinonimias, novos taxons, chaves e notas. Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia. 37(4):53–95., Monné (2005)Monné (2005):
Monné MA. 2005. Catalogue of the Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) of the Neotropical Region. Part II. Subfamily Lamiinae. Zootaxa. 1023:1–759., Souza et al. (2024)Souza et al. (2024):
Souza DS, French RLK, Silva Jr. JO, Nearns EH, Marinoni L, Swift IP, Miller KB, Sperling FAH, Monné M. 2024. Cutting the sap: First molecular phylogeny of twig-girdler longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Onciderini) suggests shifts in host plant attack behaviours contributed to morphological evolution. Systematic Entomology. 502:369–389., Thomson (1868)Thomson (1868):
Thomson J. 1868. Révision du groupe des oncidérites (Lamites, cérambycides, coléoptères). Physis Recueil d'Histoire Naturelle. 2(5):41–92.
