Agapanthia cardui
| Agapanthia cardui | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Cerambycidae |
| Genus: | Agapanthia |
| Species: | A. cardui
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| Binomial name | |
| Agapanthia cardui | |
| Synonyms | |
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Agapanthia cardui is a species of flat-faced longhorn beetle belonging to the family Cerambycidae, subfamily Lamiinae.
Description
[edit]Agapanthia cardui adults grow up to 6–14 millimetres (0.24–0.55 in) and can be encountered from April through July, completing their life cycle in one year.
Subspecies
[edit]Several subspecies of A. cardui are recorded in the entomological literature:
- Agapanthia cardui consobrina Chevrolat, 1840
- Agapanthia cardui marginalis (Mulsant), 1839
- Agapanthia cardui nigroaenea (Mulsant), 1839
- Agapanthia cardui peragalloi (Mulsant), 1862
- Agapanthia cardui ruficornis (Pic) Pesarini & Sabbadini, 2004
Distribution
[edit]This beetle is present in most of Europe, in the Near East, and in the eastern Palearctic realm. In 2010, it was listed as occurring in 24 European countries.[1] It has since expanded into the UK; the first specimens were recorded from East Kent in May 2018.[2]
Diet and habitat
[edit]Agapanthia cardui are polyphagous in herbaceous plants, mainly feeding on Carduus nutans (hence the specific name) and Silybum marianum, as well as on Salvia, Urtica and Cirsium species.
References
[edit]- ^ Lobl, I.; Smetana, A., eds. (2010). Catalogue of Palearctic Coleoptera (Volume 6: Chrysomeloidea). Apollo Books. p. 924.
- ^ Chmurova, L.; Mendel, H.; Potts, K.; Barclay, M. V. L. (2018). "Agapanthia cardui (Linnaeus, 1767) (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) in Britain, well established in East Kent (VC 15)". The Coleopterist. 27 (3): 109–113.