Stenocorus minutus (Gebler, 1841)

Karpinski, Lech, Szczepanski, Wojciech T., lewa, Radoslaw, Walczak, Marcin, Hilszczanski, Jacek, Kruszelnicki, Lech, Los, Krzysztof, Jaworski, Tomasz, Marek Bidas, & Tarwacki, Grzegorz, 2018, New data on the distribution, biology and ecology of the longhorn beetles from the area of South and East Kazakhstan (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), ZooKeys 805, pp. 59-126 : 69-71

Stenocorus minutus (Gebler, 1841) Fig. 2C, D

Material examined.

East Kazakhstan Region: 10 km S of Bayash Utepov [ Баяш Утепов] (49°35'N, 82°28'E), 508 m a.s.l., 25 VI 2017, 4♂♂, 2♀♀, leg. LK; 1♂, 1♀, leg. WTS; 1♂, leg. MW; 1♂, leg. MB.

Remarks.

Stenocorus minutus is a rare species that is distributed mainly in eastern Kazakhstan and reaches northwestern China and western Mongolia through the Irtysh River valley and the Tarbagatay Mountain range ( Danilevsky 2014a, 2018a). While the biology of the preimaginal stages remains unknown, according to Danilevsky (2014a), larvae of this species undoubtedly descend under ground where they feed on the roots of various woody plants. Kadyrbekov and Childebaev (2007) claimed that the larvae develop in dead deciduous trees. The latter authors found adults on the flowers of various plant species, including Euphorbia lamprocarpa , in the second half of June. On the other hand, the species was quite numerously observed in treeless xerothermic habitats that had a significant number of shrubs ( Danilevsky 2014a).

For a long time, Stenocorus minutus was known in Kazakhstan only from the upper ranges of the Saur and Tarbagatay Mountains ( Kostin 1973). It was also mentioned as occurring in southeastern Kazakhstan (along Lake Zaysan) by Cherepanov (1990a) under its outdated name Stenocorus tataricus (Gebler, 1841); however, the author had never observed this species in nature. Recently, it was found more frequently in the riparian forests of the Tentek River valley ( Kadyrbekov and Childebaev 2007).

About ten specimens were collected on the leaves and stems of Caragana and Lonicera shrubs overgrowing the stony hills in the Sibinka River valley (Fig. 15B). A female was observed feeding on juice leaking from a damaged Caragana stem together with a few individuals of Protaetia spp. That observation and the fact that most of the specimens (also couples together) were found on Caragana may indicate an association of Stenocorus minutus with this plant genus, especially since not a single specimen has been recorded by any of the expeditions in a rather well-investigated area of Putintsevo, that is located approx. 120 km eastward, in which many deciduous trees (e.g. Betula , Padus , Populus , Salix ) and shrubs (e.g. Lonicera , Rosa , Spiraea , Viburnum ) occur with the exception of Caragana . It is also worth noting that this rare but rather large and easily spotted species has not been found in presented locality by M. Danilevsky’s research team in mid-June of 2005, which may indicate the beginning of the appearance of beetles in the second half of June when the adults of their sympatric species Oberea kostini end their activity.