Agapanthia asphodeli, a species widely distributed in Mediterranean region, has been described from Bordeaux environs (France) as Lamia asphodeli by Pierre-André Latreille in 1804 [✱].

Its subspecies A. asphodeli cretica, endemic to Crete (Greece), has been described as a separate species Agapanthia cretica by Dieter Bernhauer in 1978 [✧]. It was downgraded to the subspecies level by Maxim A. Lazarev in 2023 [✳]. According to Maxim A. Lazarev, another Cretan endemic species A. probsti, described by Carolus Holzschuh in 1984 [▽], is a synonym of A. asphodeli cretica Bernhauer, 1978 [✳].

A. asphodeli cretica develops in Asphodeline liburnica (Xanthorrhoeaceae). Similarly to other Agapanthia species larvae of Agapanthia probsti feed in stalks of living hosts. The pupal cell is built in the stalk rather than the roots although it may occur very close to ground level. The last instar larva girdles the stalk above the pupal cell and secures the gallery at this point by a wad of fibrous frass. The emerging adult leaves the stalk by biting an oval emergence hole in its side, usually about 1 cm below the cut.

Body length:	12 - 16 mm
Life cycle:	1 year
Adults in:	May - June
Host plant:	Asphodeline liburnica (Xanthorrhoeaceae)
Distribution:	an endemic species to Crete

The depicted beetles were reared (hatched in January 1, 2022) from larvae found in Asphodeline liburnica stalk in Georgioupoli (Γεωργιούπολη) resort village environs (N35°22.13′ E24°15.37′; 30-50 m a.s.l., Apokoronas municipality, Chania regional unit, Crete, Greece) in July 1-7, 2021.

Collected by our friend Matěj Čermák

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[✱]
Latreille P.-E.:
Histoire Naturelle, Générale et particulière des Crustacés et des Insectes.
Imprimerie F. Dufart, Paris 11, 424pp, 1804. [download ]

[✧]
Bernhauer D.:
Eine neue Agapanthien-Art aus Kreta (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).
Nachrichtenblatt der Bayerischen Entomologen 27 (4): 69-71, 1978. [download ]

[✳]
Lazarev M.A.:
Taxonomy structure of Agapanthia (Epoptes) asphodeli (Latreille, 1804) (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).
Humanity space International almanac 12 (5): 468-491, 2023. [download ]

[▽]
Holzschuh C.:
Beschreibung von 24 neuen Bockkäfern aus Europa und Asien, vorwiegend aus dem Himalaya (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).
Entomologica Basiliensa 9: 340-372, 1984. [download ]

Pesarini C. and Sabbadini A.:
Osservazioni sulla sistematica della tribù Agapanthiini Mulsant, 1839 (Coleoptera Cerambycidae).
Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Milano 145 (1): 117-132, 2004. [download ]