Arhopalus

Subfamily

Spondylidinae

Diagnosis - adult

Body length: 9–30 mm. 
Eyes: eye interommatidial setaeseta:
a sclerotized hair-like projection of the cuticle
present or absent, eye entire/shallowly emarginateemarginate:
notched at the margin
, 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
, 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
or subquadratesubquadrate:
 not quite a square
, pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
lateral armature absent. 
Prosternum: prosternal processprosternal process:
a posterior extension of the prosternum between the coxae
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
or with tooth or spinespine:
a protuberance with an acute (sharp) distal end
, elytral color black, brown or reddish, elytral color pattern absent. 
Legs: visible tarsomerestarsomere:
subdivision or article of the tarsus, usually numbering from two to five
: 4, femora slender, protibial spursprotibial spur:
sclerotized spine(s) located at the distal tibia; can be single, double, or absent
: 1, tarsal clawstarsal claw:
usually paired claws of the pretarsus, at the distal end of the leg
simple.

Head small, depressed along middle with a median impressed line; clypeusclypeus:
that part of the insect head below the frons, to which the labrum is attached anteriorly
short, flattened; labrumlabrum:
the upper lip, abutting the clypeus in front of the mouth
transversetransverse:
broader than long
; mandibles short, stout; maxillary palpi with last segment moderately broad at apexapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
; eyes large, coarsely faceted, emarginateemarginate:
notched at the margin
, pubescentpubescent:
downy; clothed with soft, short, fine, loosely set hair
or not; 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
moderately stout, rarely longer than body in male, eleventh segment feebly appendiculateappendiculate:
bearing appendages
. Pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
as wide or wider than long, sides rounded or feebly subangulate, disk usually impressed; prosternum protuberantprotuberant:
rising or produced above the surface or general level
, flat or concave anteriorly; mesonotum with a small stridulatory plate; metepisterna broad in front, narrowed 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
elongate, slightly narrowed toward apexapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
; apicesapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
rounded. Legs moderately elongateelongate:
much longer than wide
; femora slender; anterior tibiaetibia:
the leg segment distal to the femur, proximal to the tarsus
armed with single spur (Chemsak 1996Chemsak 1996:
Chemsak JA. 1996. Illustrated Revision of the Cerambycidae of North America. Volume I. Parandrinae, Spondylidinae, Aseminae, Prioninae. Wolfsgarden Books. Burbank, California 1: i–x + 1–150, pls I–X. ISBN 1-885850-02-6).

Similar genera

Asemum, Cephalallus, Megasemum

Differential diagnosis

Can be differentiated from Asemum by the single protibial spurprotibial spur:
sclerotized spine(s) located at the distal tibia; can be single, double, or absent
, larger eyes, and longer 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
.

Distribution

Holarctic. Introduced in New Zealand.

Recorded host plants

Pinaceae

Remarks

22 extant spp. New World 9 spp. plus one introduced (A. rusticus). All species conifer feeding.

Synonyms

Criocephalum Dejean, 1835

Criocephalus Mulsant, 1839

Hylescopus Gistel, 1856

Taxonomy

Arhopalus Audinet-Serville, 1834