Phoracantha recurva, an Australian species introduced to the West Palearctic region in the last decades of the 20th century, has been described from
"Nova Hollandia" (Australia) by Edward Newman in 1840 [❖]. Phoracantha recurva, as well as its sister species
Phoracantha semipunctata (Fabricius, 1775) (also introduced from Australia), is ecologically
associated with eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus spp.) in which its larvae develop. Since it also attacks healthy trees, it is locally considered a pest.
Interestingly, it seems that in many Maghreb localities P. recurva is displacing P. semipunctata [✮].
| Body length: | 14 - 30 mm |
| Life cycle: | 1 - 2 years |
| Adults in: | April - October |
| Host plant: | Eucalyptus spp. |
| Distribution: | introduced from Australia to WP region (Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey) |
The depicted beetles were collected in: ♂ - Alikianos (Αλικιανός) village environs (N35°27′35″ E23°54′55″; 48 m a.s.l.,
Mousouroi municipal, Chania regional unit, Cret. Greece) on June 22, 2016; ♀ - Nadhour (الناظور) environs (Zaghouan Governorate, Tunisia) on May 31 - June 2, 2007.
Collected by David Navrátil and Pavel Jelínek
[❖]
Newman E.:
Entomological Notes.
The Entomologist 1: 1-16, 1840
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[✮]
Dhahri S., Lieutier F., Cheikhrouha F.Ch. & Ben J.M.L., 2016:
Distribution, preference and performance of Phoracantha recurva and Phoracantha semipunctata (Coleoptera Cerambycidae) on various Eucalyptus species in Tunisia.
Redia (Istituto Sperimentale per la Zoologia Agraria, Firenze) 99: 83-95, 2016.
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Cocquempot Ch. & Lindelöw Å.:
Longhorn beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). Chapter 8.1.
Alien terrestrial arthropods of Europe (A. Roques, M. Kenis, D. Lees, C. Lopez-Vaamonde, W. Rabitsch, J.-Y. Rasplus, D. Roy, Eds.).
BioRisk 4 (1): 193-218, 2010.
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Trócoli S.:
Actualización del catálogo de Longicornios de Marruecos Actualisation du catalogue des Longicornes du Maroc (Parte III / Partie III : Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae).
Revue de l'Association Roussillonnaise d'Entomologie (R.A.R.E.) 28 (3): 143-185, 2019.
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Wang Q.:
A Taxonomic Revision of the Australian Genus Phoracantha Newman (Coleoptera : Cerambycidae).
Invertebrate Taxonomy 9 (5): 865-958, 1995.
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