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Pycnomerus fuliginosus Erichson, 1842 (a species of cylindrical bark-beetle)

Basis for Tasmanian occurrence

Semmens, T.D., McQuillan, P.B. & Hayhurst, G. (1992). Catalogue of the Insects of Tasmania. Government of Tasmania: Department of Primary Industry, 104 pp. (as Penthelispa fuliginosa)

TMAG collections

Classification

Order: Coleoptera

Suborder: Polyphaga

Superfamily: Tenebrionoidea

Family: Zopheridae

Subfamily: Colydiinae

Tribe: Pycnomerini

Morphology

Typical length (mm): 4
Flightedness: winged and assumed capable of flight

Source literature on morphology and taxonomy (*primary taxonomic source, where identified):
*Erichson, W.F. (1842). Beitrag zur Insecten-Fauna von Vandiemensland, mit besonderer Beruecksichtung der geographischen Verbreitung der Insecten. Nicolai’schen Buchhandlung 8(1): 379 pages.

Ecology

Assumed larval feeding: wood-feeder
Association with dead wood or old trees: obligately saproxylic
Ecological attributes:Atherosperma moschatum is a host-plant (Bashford, 1990a) — Banksia marginata is a host-plant (Bashford, 1990a) — Eucalyptus amygdalina is a host-plant (Bashford, 1990a) — Melaleuca sp. is a host-plant (Bashford, 1990a) — Nothofagus cunninghamii is a host-plant (Bashford, 1990a) — Pinus radiata is a host-plant (Bashford, 1990a) — May occupy logs or trunks of Eucalyptus obliqua, at least temporarily, since found having emerged within six years of felling (Grove et al., 2009).

Collection method(s) for TMAG material: — Baited trapping (funnel trap) — Emergence trapping from cut billets of Eucalyptus obliqua (Harrison, 2007) — Emergence trapping from log of Eucalyptus obliqua — Flight intercept trapping (trough below Malaise trap) — Hand collection (substrate not specified) — Hand collection from under bark (tree species not specified) — Malaise trapping — Pipe trapping — Pitfall trapping — Sticky trapping (substrate not specified) — Sticky trapping on Eucalyptus obliqua — Trunk window trapping (Harrison, 2007) — Vane trapping.

Source ecological literature:
Grove, S.J. (2009b). Beetles and fuelwood harvesting: a retrospective study from Tasmania’s southern forests. Tasforests 18: 77-99.
Baker, S.C. (2006b). Ecology and conservation of ground-dwelling beetles in managed wet eucalypt forest: edge and riparian effects. PhD thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Bashford, R. (1990a). Tasmanian forest insects and their host plants: records from the Tasmanian Forestry Commission insect collection. Hobart: Tas. Forestry Commission, 32 pages.
Grove, S. et al. (2009). A long-term experimental study of saproxylic beetle … succession in Tasmanian Eucalyptus … logs… In: Fattorini, S. (Ed.), Insect Ecology and Conservation. Research Signpost, pp. 71-114.
Grove, S.J. & Yaxley, B. (2005). Wildlife habitat strips and native forest ground-active beetle assemblages in plantation nodes in northeast Tasmania. Aust. J. Entom. 44 (4): 331-343.
Harrison, K.S. (2007). Saproxylic beetles associated with habitat features in Eucalyptus obliqua trees in the southern forests of Tasmania. PhD thesis, Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Yee, M. (2005). The ecology and habitat requirements of saproxylic beetles native to Tasmanian wet eucalypt forests: potential impacts of commercial forestry practices. PhD thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Yee, M. et al. (2006). Brown rot in inner heartwood: why large logs support characteristic … beetle assemblages … In Grove, S.J. & Hanula, J.L. (eds.) Insect biodiv. and dead wood, pages 42-56. USDA For. Serv., SRS.

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