Longhorn Beetles - Cerambycidae are one of the most easily recognised groups of beetles, a family that worldwide encompasses over 33 000 species in 5200 genera. With over 1400 species classified in ...300 genera, this is the sixth largest among 117 beetle families in Australia. These beetles often attack and kill living forest or orchard trees and develop in construction timber (like the European House borer, introduced to WA), causing serious damage. Virtually all Cerambycidae feed on living or dead plant tissues and play a significant role in all terrestrial environments where plants are found. Larvae often utilise damaged or dead trees for their development, and through feeding on rotten wood form an important element of the saproxylic fauna, speeding energy circulation in these habitats. Many species are listed as quarantine pests because of their destructive role to the timber industry. This second of three volumes on Australian Longhorn Beetles covers the taxonomy of genera of the Cerambycinae, with comments on natural history and morphology. One hundred and forty-two Cerambycinae genera are diagnosed and described, an illustrated key to their identification is provided, and images illustrate representatives of genera and of actual type specimens. A full listing of all Australian species with synonymies and bibliographic citations is also included.
Canada and the Netherlands have adopted the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 15 for Wood Packing Materials (WPM). This measure reflects the necessity of a heat- or a ...chemical (Methyl Bromide) treatment of wood thicker than 6 mm and is approved by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Prior to use WPM should be properly treated and debarked to prevent the spread of live plant pests and diseases, especially Quarantine species. WPM treated according to ISPM 15 is marked, but these measures are not always properly implemented. Interceptions by the plant protection services of Canada and the Netherlands of living insects, such as larvae of Cerambycidae, occurs regularly in WPM during import inspections at airports, at harbours or at stone-importing companies. Living larvae of Cerambycidae have been intercepted in wood from numerous tree species, both coniferous and deciduous trees, in particular those used for the transport of stone and tiles from China. In addition to wood packaging, handicrafts manufactured from wood are also a pathway for live Cerambycid larvae.
Mitochondrial genome analysis is an important tool for studying insect phylogenetics. The longhorn beetle,
, is a significant pest in timber, economic and protection forests. This study determined ...the mitochondrial genome of
and compared it with the mitochondrial genomes of other Cerambycidae with the aim of exploring the phylogenetic status of the pest and the evolutionary relationships among some Cerambycidae subgroups. The complete mitochondrial genome of
was sequenced by the Illumina HiSeq platform. The mitochondrial genome was aligned and compared with the existing mitochondrial genomes of
and
in GenBank (MF521888, MW629558, OM161963, respectively). The secondary structure of transfer RNA (tRNA) was predicted using tRNAScan-SE server v.1.21 and MITOS WebSever. Thirteen protein-coding genes (PCGs) and two ribosomal RNA gene sequences of 21 longhorn beetles, including
, plus two outgroups,
(Dryopidae) and
(Heteroceridae), were analyzed. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. In this study, we successfully obtained the complete mitochondrial genome of
for the first time, which is 15 425 bp in length. It contains 37 genes and an A + T-rich region, arranged in the same order as the recognized ancestor of longhorn beetles. The genome of
is composed of 33.12% A bases, 41.64% T bases, 12.08% C bases, and 13.16% G bases. The structure, nucleotide composition, and codon usage of the new mitochondrial genome are not significantly different from other longhorn mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Cerambycidae formed a highly supported single clade, and Vesperidae was either clustered with Cerambycidae or formed a separate clade. Interestingly,
,
and
were clustered with
and
species in both analyses, with high node support. Additionally, the Vesperidae
and
and the 19 Cerambycidae species formed a sister clade in the Bayesian analysis. Our results have produced new complete mitogenomic data, which will provide information for future phylogenetic and taxonomic research, and provide a foundation for future relevant research.
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