Petrognatha
Encyclopedia
Petrognatha Wied-Neuwied
, 1839 is a genus of longhorn beetle
belonging to the subfamily Lamiinae
, tribe Petrognathini.
It is not to be confused with Perognathus
, a genus of pocket mice.
There is only one species the giant African longhorn beetle Petrognatha gigas described by Fabricius
in 1792. It is found in Central Africa
.
The larvae bore into the wood of fallen Acacia
trees and the adults strongly resemble the bark. Furthermore the antennae
and legs resemble twigs when they are extended forward. It is an example of a cryptic species.
Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied
Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied was a German explorer, ethnologist and naturalist....
, 1839 is a genus of longhorn beetle
Longhorn beetle
The longhorn beetles are a cosmopolitan family of beetles, typically characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than the beetle's body...
belonging to the subfamily Lamiinae
Lamiinae
Lamiinae, commonly called flat-faced longhorns, are a subfamily of the longhorn beetle family . The subfamily includes over 750 genera, rivaled in diversity within the family only by the subfamily Cerambycinae.-Tribes:...
, tribe Petrognathini.
It is not to be confused with Perognathus
Perognathus
Perognathus is a genus of pocket mouse. Like other members of their family they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice.-Characteristics:...
, a genus of pocket mice.
There is only one species the giant African longhorn beetle Petrognatha gigas described by Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
in 1792. It is found in Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
.
The larvae bore into the wood of fallen Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
trees and the adults strongly resemble the bark. Furthermore the antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
and legs resemble twigs when they are extended forward. It is an example of a cryptic species.