Grammoptera subargentata (Kirby)

Pictured below is a specimen of Grammoptera subargentata (Kirby) that was collected on the Bonnet Lake Barrens, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Canada May 17-24, 1999 by Randy Lauff. This is a Longhorned Beetle (Cerambycidae) of the subfamily, Lepturinae.

This is a species which is rather infrequently encountered in Nova Scotia, this being only the third record. Other specimens have been collected in Cumberland and Kings counties. There are also records from neighbouring New Brunswick and Maine. According to Yanega (1996) it is found on various hardwoods including sumac, poplar, and, oak and is broadly distributed in North America.

Grammoptera subargentata dorsal habitus	Grammoptera subargentata ventral habitus	Grammoptera subargentata lateral habitus

It is 4.4 mm in length and largely piceous in coloration. The temporae of the head narrow to a punctate neck. The antennae are long and each antennomere is cylindrical, much longer than wide. Antennomere 2 is short; antennomere 1 is rufous in colouration. The apical mandibular palpomere is blunt at the tip. The eyes are significantly emarginate behind the antennal insertions.

The dorsal and ventral surfaces are densely punctate and pubescent. The head and pronotum are densely, almost confluently, punctate; the elytral punctures are slightly coarser and are more widely spaced with a shining elytral surface between them (almost equal to the diameter of the punctures themselves. The pronotum is bell-shaped and tapers to acute basal angles: the apical angles are rounded. The ventral surface is more finely punctate.

The legs are long; the femora and tibia are long with two short tibial spurs. The tarsi are also long. Meta-tarsomere 1 is as long as the following three together; meta-tarsomere 3 is prominently bilobed. The tarsal claws are simple.

References

Yanega, D. 1996. Field Guide to the Northeastern Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae. Illinois Natural History Survey. Champaign, Illinois. 174 pp.

Many thanks for G. Sama for assistance in the determination of the specimen.

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