Megacyllene angulata (Fabricius, 1775)

Nascimento, Francisco Eriberto de Lima, Mendes, Diego Matheus de Mello & Neto, Alberto Moreira da Silva, 2020, Notes on mating behaviour and a possible new host plant for Megacyllene angulata (Fabricius, 1775) (Cerambycidae, Coleoptera), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 60, pp. 1-5 : 2

Megacyllene Casey, 1912 Megacyllene angulata (Fabricius, 1775)

( Fig. 3 A‑F)

Distribution: Mexico (Chiapas, Veracruz), Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Surinam, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil (Roraima, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul), Peru, Bolivia (Beni, Santa Cruz), Dominica.

Hosts – Alexa leiopetala Sandwith, A.wachenheimii R.Ben. ( Papilionaceae ), Faramea corymbosa Aublet (Rubiaceae) .

Mating behavior ( Figs. 2 A‑D)

Several specimens of Megacyllene angulata were observed on a single specimen of Doliocarpus dentatus (Aubl.) Standl (Dilleniaceae) . The vine was cut, but it was still fixed on the canopy of a large tree of Luehea cymulosa Spruce ex Benth. (Malvaceae) . In the cut part of the vines (about 1.5 meters above the ground) there was sap dripping and several male and female specimens of M. angulata clustered in this region ( Fig. 2A ). The specimens showed a repetitive behavior climbing from the cut part to a region 3 meters above the cut and vice‑versa.During this movement there were several copulation attempts, in which males frantically pursued females ( Fig. 2B ). Most of the copulations, when initiated, were interrupted by aggressive behaviors of other males biting especially the pronotum and antennal base of the male specimen in mating ( Fig. 2C ). Couples, which escaped the attacks, climbed to the upper part of the vine (about 2 meters above the cut) and remained immobile on the region of the vine not directly exposed to sunlight ( Fig. 2D ).

Figures

Figure 2. Specimens of Megacyllene angulata performing mating behavior.(A) Male and female specimens clustered in a region of the vine.(B) Males frantically pursued females. (C) Copulations interrupted by aggressive behaviors of other males. (D) Couple in copulation, immobile on the region of the vine not directly exposed to sunlight.

Figure 3. Megacyllene angulata (Fabricius,1775).(A‑C) male.(A) dorsal habitus;(B) ventral habitus;(C) lateral habitus.(D‑F) female.(D) dorsal habitus;(E) ventral habitus;(F) lateral habitus.Scale bar = 2 mm.