Agapanthia (Smaragdula) chalybaea Faldermann, 1837

Subfamilia: LAMIINAE  /  Tribus: AGAPANTHIINI
Agapanthia chalybaea
[Photo © Michal Hoskovec]

Agapanthia (Smaragdula) chalybaea, a species occuring in Caucasus-Transcaucasia and surrounding territories, has been described from "Transcaucasia" by Franz Faldermann in 1837 [✱].

The taxonomy of the subgenus Smaragdula Pesarini & Sabbadini, 2004 is very complicated and there are many very contradictory views among cerambycidologists regarding the validity and real existence of many taxa. A comprehensive and detailed revision of the Smaragdula by our colleague and friend Karel Hodek from the summer of 2021 attempts to answer many questions concerning this issue [▽].

Body length:9 - 15 mm
Life cycle:1 year
Adults in:May - July
Host plant:Cephalaria spp. (Caprifoliaceae)
Distribution:Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Iran


The depicted beetles were found sitting on leaves of giant scabious (Cephalaria gigantea) growing in mountain meadows ca 4.5 km south of Kajaran (Քաջարան, Syunik prov., South Armenia).

Collected by Michal Hoskovec and Petr Jelínek


[✱]
Faldermann F.:
Fauna entomologica Transcaucasica. Coleoptera 2. Longicornes vel Capricornes.
Nouveaux Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 5 (2): 1-433 [page 263], 1837. [download pdf icon]

[▽]
Hodek K.:
Review of the subgenus Smaragdula Pesarini & Sabbadini, 2004, and two new species from Turkey (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Laminae, Agapanthiini)
Natura Somogyiensis 36: 81-110, 2021. [download pdf icon]

Özdikmen H.:
Turkish Agapanthiini Mulsant, 1839 with identification keys (Coleoptera: Lamiinae).
Munis Entomology & Zoology 8 (1): 9-40, 2013. [download pdf icon]


Agapanthia chalybaea
Agapanthia chalybaea
Agapanthia chalybaea
[Photo © Michal Hoskovec]
Agapanthia chalybaea
[Photo © Petr Jelínek]


 
SubfamiliaLamiinae Latreille, 1825
TribusAgapanthiini Mulsant, 1839
GenusAgapanthia Audinet-Serville, 1835
SubgenusSmaragdula Pesarini et Sabbadini, 2004
SpeciesAgapanthia (Smaragdula) chalybaea Faldermann, 1837