Vesperus bolivari Oliviera, 1890

Familia: VESPERIDAE  /  Subfamilia: VESPERINAE  /  Tribus: VESPERINI
Vesperus bolivari

[Photo © David Navrátil, click on the picture for 4K resolution]


Vesperus bolivari, a very rare species occuring in South of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal, Spain), has been described by Manuel Paulino de Oliveira in 1890 [▽]. The biology of the species is similar to other species of the genus, id est larvae develop on the roots of deciduous trees and shrubs. The adults emerge in August-September and are active at dusk / early night hours until November-December (Algarve Coast). Males fly on warm windless nights and can be attracted by the ultraviolet light. Females are very rarely collected due to the hidden way of life, during the day they are hidden under stones and plant remains and because they are apterous, unlike males, they cannot be attracted to the light [▽].

Body length:♂♂ 17-25 mm / ♀♀ 21 - 28 mm
Life cycle:2 and more years [?]
Adults in:August - December
Host plant:polyphagous on the roots of decidous trees and shrubs (Vitis, Olea)
Distribution:Portugal, Spain


The depicted male beetle was collected in Lagos environs (Faro district, Algarve region, Portugal) on September 61, 2022.

Collected by our friend Marcos López, to whom we gratefully thank for the depicted donated specimen.


[❖]
de Oliveira M.P.:
Catalogue des Coléoptères du Portugal (Continuado do n° 4, páginas 286). Cerambycidae.
O Instituto. Revista Scientifica e Litteraria 38 (2) 5: 358-364, 1890. [download pdf icon]

[▽]
Vives i Noguera E.:
Révision du genre Vesperus Dejean 1821 (Coleoptera : Cerambycidae).
Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, Paris 40 (3-4): 437-457, 2005. [download pdf icon]

Verdugo P.A. and Pérez-López F.:
Contribución al conocimiento de los Cerambícidos de Andalucía (España). IV. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).
Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 35: 211-217, 2004. [download pdf icon]



 
FamiliaVesperidae Mulsant, 1839
SubfamiliaVesperinae Mulsant, 1839
TribusVesperini Mulsant, 1839
GenusVesperus Dejean, 1821
SpeciesVesperus bolivari Oliveira, 1890