cyan long-horned beetle

(Gaurotes cyanipennis)

Conservation Status
cyan long-horned beetle
Photo by Alfredo Colon
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Cyan long-horned beetle is a common, small, flower longhorn beetle. It occurs in North America from Maine and Quebec, south to northern Georgia, and west to Minnesota, and in adjacent Canadian provinces.

Adults are to ½ (9 to 13 mm) long and robust..

The head is angled forward in front and abruptly constricted in back forming a neck that is visible when viewed from above. The compound eyes are black, small, and deeply notched. The antennae are slender, reddish-yellow, and long, more than half as long as the body. The base of each antenna inserted in the notch in the compound eye, but is not completely surrounded by the eye. The finger-like sensory mouth parts (maxillary palps) are segmented. The last segment is blunt or straight across at the tip.

The upper thoracic shield (pronotum) is black, shiny, and bell-shaped. It is narrow at the front and wide at the base, and gradually tapered. It is not as wide as the base of the hardened wing covers (elytra), making the body appear broad-shouldered. It is inflated (arched) on top (dorsally), and has a shallow impression in the middle near the base. The angles at the rear (posterior) corners of the pronotum are rounded.

The elytra are smooth; metallic blue, violet, or green; elongated; and tapered at the back. The shoulder (humeral) area of each elytra is distinctly inflated.

The legs are slender and reddish-yellow. The first segment of each leg (coxa) is cone-shaped. The last part of each leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, is black and has five segments. The fourth segment is small and tucked between the lobes of the third, heart-shaped segment, making the tarsus appear to have only four segments.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: to ½ (9 to 13 mm)

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Woodlands and open areas near woodlands

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

May to August

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

Larvae feed under bark. Adults are found on flowers of trees and shrubs. They are also attracted to freshly painted surfaces, and will come to lights at night.

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

 

 
     
 

Larva Food

 
 

 

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Pollen, stamens, and nectar of the flowers of many species of trees and shrubs

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 29, 30, 82.

 
  6/11/2022      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Coleoptera (beetles)  
 

Suborder

Polyphaga (water, rove, scarab, long-horned, leaf, and snout beetles)  
 

Infraorder

Cucujiformia  
 

Superfamily

Chrysomeloidea (longhorn and leaf beetles)  
 

Family

Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles)  
 

Subfamily

Lepturinae (flower longhorn beetles)  
 

Tribe

Rhagiini  
 

Genus

Gaurotes  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Gaurotes ione

Gaurotes laportei

Gaurotes leonardii

Gaurotes servillei

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

cyan long-horned beetle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Elytra

The hardened or leathery forewings of beetles used to protect the fragile hindwings, which are used for flying. Singular: elytron.

 

Pronotum

The exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.

 

Tarsus

On insects, the last two to five subdivisions of the leg, attached to the tibia; the foot. On spiders, the last segment of the leg. Plural: tarsi.

 

Tibia

The fourth segment of an insect leg, after the femur and before the tarsus (foot).

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
    cyan long-horned beetle      
           
 
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Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 
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  Melissa P.
6/9/2022

Location: Red Wing, MN

Found on plant in garden.

 
  Alfredo Colon
7/17/2018

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

cyan long-horned beetle  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

Binoculars


Created: 1/29/2019

Last Updated:

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