Phoracantha

Subfamily

Cerambycinae

Diagnosis - adult

Body length: 14–45.5mm. 
Eyes: eye interommatidial setaeseta:
a sclerotized hair-like projection of the cuticle
present, 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 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
or subquadratesubquadrate:
not quite a square
, 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 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
emarginate or with tooth or spinespine:
a protuberance with an acute (sharp) distal end
, elytral color black, brown, yellow, or reddish, elytral color pattern present or absent. 
Legs: visible tarsomeres: 4, femora slender, protibial spurs: 2, tarsal claws simple.

Similar genera

Semiphoracantha, Coptocercus

Differential diagnosis

Phoracantha is distinguished by the long 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
with antennomeresantennomere:
a subunit of the antenna, including the scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres
3–7 spinosespinose:
armed with thorny spines, more elongate than echinate
and pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
with lateral spines. Semiphoracantha has no lateral spines. Coptocercus has obviously clavateclavate:
thickening gradually toward the tip
femora and the pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
longer than wide.

Distribution

Australasian; introduced in Neotropical, Nearctic, Afrotropical, and Palearctic (Mediterranean)

Recorded host plants

broadleaf trees

Remarks

44 species. Critical introduced species are P. recurva and P. semipunctata.

Synonyms

Stenocorus Hope, 1835 [part]

Tryphocharia Pascoe, 1866

Diospides Pascoe, 1866

Xypeta Pascoe, 1866

Phytrocaria W. Wang, 1996

Taxonomy

Phoracantha Newman, 1840

  Phoracantha semipunctata  dorsal

Phoracantha semipunctata dorsal

  Phoracantha semipunctata  ventral

Phoracantha semipunctata ventral

  Phoracantha semipunctata  frontal

Phoracantha semipunctata frontal

  Phoracantha semipunctata  lateral

Phoracantha semipunctata lateral