Meriellum

Subfamily

Cerambycinae

Diagnosis - adult

Body length: 10–16mm.
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 fine.
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
, 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 scapescape:
the first proximal segment of the antenna
≥ segment 3 or 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 absent.
Prosternum: prosternal process not dilated at apexapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
, procoxal cavities open 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
, elytral color pattern present.
Legs: visible tarsomeres: 4, femora clavateclavate:
thickening gradually toward the tip
, protibial spurs: 2, tarsal claws simple.

Form elongateelongate:
much longer than wide
, flattened, sides subparallel. setaeseta:
a sclerotized hair-like projection of the cuticle
1-segmented, shorter than body in both sexes, second segment nearly twice as long as broad, outer segments not expanded. Pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
wider than long, constricted at basebase:
the part of any appendage or structure that is nearest the body
, sides rounded, disk smooth, sides finely punctatepunctate:
set with fine, impressed points or punctures appearing as pin-pricks
in male, coarsely so in female; prosternum narrow; mesonotum polished, without a stridulatory area, surface with a few scattered punctures; mesosternummesosternum:
sternum of the mesothorax
broad, emarginateemarginate:
notched at the margin
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
with elevated yellowish costae more or less distinct basally. Femora moderately clavateclavate:
thickening gradually toward the tip
 (Linsley 1964Linsley 1964:
Linsley, E.G. 1964. The Cerambycidae of North America. Part V. Taxonomy and classification of the subfamily Cerambycinae, tribes Callichromini through Ancylocerini. University of California Publications in Entomology, Vol. 22. 197 pp.).

Similar genera

Callidium, Phymatodes

Differential diagnosis

An extremely variable species but usually with elevated yellowish pustular costae and femora orange with a darker distaldistal:
near or toward the free end of any appendage; that part of a segment farthest from the body
portion. Mesosternummesosternum:
sternum of the mesothorax
emarginateemarginate:
notched at the margin
.

Distribution

Nearctic: boreal area of North America, south to Rocky Mts. conifer forest

Recorded host plants

Picea spp., Pinus ponderosa

Remarks

Monotypic. Oviposition in dead trees where larvae work under bark. Known to attack rustic work (Craighead 1923Craighead 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.).

Synonyms

Merium LeConte (not Kirby, 1837), 1873, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., 11 (265): 296

Taxonomy

Meriellum Linsley, 1957, Canadian Ent., 89: 287