Aegomorphus

Subfamily

Lamiinae

Diagnosis - adult

Body length: 9–26mm. 
Eyes: eye interommatidial setaeseta:
a sclerotized hair-like projection of the cuticle
absent, eye deeply emarginateemarginate:
notched at the margin
> half width, eye ommatidial density coarse. 
AntennaeAntenna:
in larval and adult insects, paired segmented appendages, borne one on each side of the head, functioning as sense organs and bearing a large number of sensilla
: antennal length reaches between basebase:
the part of any appendage or structure that is nearest the body
and end of elytraelytron:
the leathery forewing of beetles, serving as a covering for the hind wings, commonly meeting opposite elytron in a straight line down the middle of the dorsum in repose
or reaching/surpassing end of body, antennal flagellar segments elongateelongate:
much longer than wide
, scapescape:
the first proximal segment of the antenna
smooth/punctate at apexapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
, antennal segment 3 > scapescape:
the first proximal segment of the antenna
. 
Pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
: pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
shape transversetransverse:
broader than long
, pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
lateral armature acute spinespine:
a protuberance with an acute (sharp) distal end
. 
Prosternum: prosternal process dilated at apexapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
, procoxal cavities closed posteriorly. 
ElytraElytron:
the leathery forewing of beetles, serving as a covering for the hind wings, commonly meeting opposite elytron in a straight line down the middle of the dorsum in repose
: elytral length reaching or close to end of abdomen, elytral apicesapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
rounded or truncatetruncate:
cut off squarely at the tip
, emarginateemarginate:
notched at the margin
or with tooth or spinespine:
a protuberance with an acute (sharp) distal end
, elytral color black, brown or reddish, elytral color pattern present or absent. 
Legs: visible tarsomeres: 4, femora clavateclavate:
thickening gradually toward the tip
, protibial spurs: 2, tarsal claws simple.

Form moderate-sized to large, tapering posteriorly. Head with front rectangular, plane to feebly convex; median line narrow, extending onto neck; genaegena:
the part of the cranium on each side below the eye
elongateelongate:
much longer than wide
, subparallel to convergent; mandibles arcuatearcuate:
arched or bow-like
, acute at apices; palpi unequal, slender; eyes rather finely faceted, deeply emarginateemarginate:
notched at the margin
, lobes narrowly connected; antennaeantenna:
in larval and adult insects, paired segmented appendages, borne one on each side of the head, functioning as sense organs and bearing a large number of sensilla
slightly longer than body in males, about as long in females, third segment longer than scapescape:
the first proximal segment of the antenna
, segments lightly fringed beneath. Pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
broader than long, sides prominently, acutely tuberculate; disk with two large, elevated calluses, middle with a rounded or linear callus; prosternum excavated before coxae, coxal cavities rounded externally; mesosternummesosternum:
sternum of the mesothorax
with intercoxal process arcuatearcuate:
arched or bow-like
or declivous. ElytraElytron:
the leathery forewing of beetles, serving as a covering for the hind wings, commonly meeting opposite elytron in a straight line down the middle of the dorsum in repose
less than twice as long as broad; basebase:
the part of any appendage or structure that is nearest the body
feebly to strongly gibbose on each side; apicesapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
emarginate truncatetruncate:
cut off squarely at the tip
, outer angle often dentate. Legs stout, femora clavateclavate:
thickening gradually toward the tip
; front tarsitarsus:
the leg segment distal to the apex of the tibia, bearing the pretarsus; consists of one to five tarsomeres (including pretarsus)
of males broad, fringed laterally. Abdomen with last sternite linearly impressed in females (Linsley and Chemsak 1985Linsley and Chemsak 1985:
Linsley, E.G. amp; J.A. Chemsak. 1985. The Cerambycidae of North America. Part VII, No. 1. Taxonomy and classification of the subfamily Lamiinae, tribes Parmenini through Acanthoderini. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles. 258 pp.).

Similar genera

Acanthoderes, Scythropopsis, Symperasmus

Differential diagnosis

The characters to differentiate Aegomorphus from close Acanthoderini are coarsely granulategranulate:
minutely and densely verrucose or minutely farinose
eyes, and a pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
without a central depression or lateral tubercles forming carinacarina:
an elevated ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute
.

Distribution

Nearctic, Palearctic, Neotropical

Recorded host plants

broadleaf trees

Remarks

95 species. According to Craighead (1923)Craighead (1923):
Craighead, F.C. 1923. North American Cerambycid Larvae. A classification and the biology of North American Cerambycid Larvae. Bulletin of the Canada Department of Agriculture (n.s.) 27: 1-239, figs 1-8, pls 1-44., the Nearctic species of Aegomorphus, except A. morrisi, are deadwood feeders in hardwoods which have reach a certain stage of decay. The wood must be soft and pulpy, usually decomposed by fungi. The larval mines are extended between the bark and wood and are not very extensive. The pupal cell is shallow and constructed in the outer sapwood. This is indicated by a protruding wad of coarse, fibrous frassfrass:
solid larval insect excrement
.

Synonyms

Psapharochrus Thomson, 1864Thomson, 1864:
Thomson, J. 1864-65. Systema cerambycidarum ou exposeacute; de tous les genres compris dans la famille des ceacute;lrambycides et familles limitrophes. H. Dessain, Lieacute;ge, 578 pp. [1864: pp. 1-352; 1865: 353-578; Also published in Meacute;moires de la Socieacute;teacute; Royale des Sciences de Lieacute;ge 19 [1866]:1-578].

Aethiopoctines Thomson, 1868

Taxonomy

Aegomorphus Haldeman, 1847, Trans. Am. Philos. Soc., (2) 10: 45