Small poplar borer

Saperda populnea

Saperda populnea (Linnaeus, 1758) is a species of longhorn beetle.
Saperda populnea - Gall inhabited by earwig Gall with exit hole in twig of a Poplar tree (Populus sp.) caused by larva of Saperda populnea. If you look closely, you can see that the empty gall is now used as a shelter by a female European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) :o) Another gall and exit hole on the same tree: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/68796/saperda_populnea_-_exit_hole_earwig.html A couple of Saperda populnea found on the same tree: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48040/saperda_populnea_-_female.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48041/saperda_populnea_-_male_collage.html Cerambycidae,Coleoptera,Earwig,Exit hole,Forficula auricularia,Gall,Geotagged,Netherlands,Populus,Saperda,Saperda populnea,Small poplar borer

Appearance

The adult beetle is 11-14 mm long and the body is black with dense golden-yellow villi. Its compound eyes are black. The antennae are whip-shaped. The male's antennae are almost as long as its body, whereas the female's are shorter than its body. There are no lateral spines on the prothorax and the dorsum is flat with one golden-yellow longitudinal band. The elytra are dotted with black rough punctures with light yellow villi. Each of the two elytra have 4-5 round spots which are formed by golden-yellow villi. The golden round dots on the male's elytra are not obvious.
Saperda populnea - Female This is the female of the "lesser poplar longhorn" (Kleine Populierenboktor) Saperda populnea, with 10-15mm a good deal smaller than its congener Saperda carcharias (20-23mm) The male has slightly longer antennae: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48041/saperda_populnea_-_male_collage.html Here is Saperda carcharias: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48039/saperda_carcharias.html Cerambycidae,Coleoptera,Geotagged,Netherlands,Saperda,Saperda populnea,Small poplar borer

Naming

Synonyms
Cerambyx populneus Linnaeus, 1758
Compsidia populnea (Linnaeus)

Common Names
English: longicorn beetle; poplar, borer, small; small poplar Longhorn beetle
Spanish: barrenador del alamo; gusano del alamo; saperda pequena del chopo
French: petite, saperde, du peuplier; saperde du peuplier; saperde du tremble
Denmark: aspebuk
Finland: Äkämähaapsanen
Germany: Bock(Kaefer), Gelbstreifiger Pappel-; Bock(Kaefer), Kleiner Espen-; Bock(Kaefer), Kleiner Pappel-
Italy: Saperda minore del pioppo
Netherlands: Populierboktor, kleine
Norway: liten ospebukk
Sweden: mindre aspvedbock
Turkey: kavak teke bocegi
Saperda populnea - Male collage This is a male of the "lesser poplar longhorn" (Kleine Populierenboktor) Saperda populnea, with 10-15mm a good deal smaller than its congener Saperda carcharias (20-23mm). The female has slightly shorter antennae: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48041/saperda_populnea_-_female.html Here is Saperda carcharias: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48039/saperda_carcharias.html Cerambycidae,Coleoptera,Geotagged,Netherlands,Saperda,Saperda populnea,Small poplar borer

Distribution

S. populnea occurs in China, Japan, Korea, the former USSR, Europe and North America (Park and Kim, 1986).
Saperda populnea - Gall with exit hole Gall with exit hole in twig of a Poplar tree (Populus sp.) caused by larva of Saperda populnea. Another gall and exit hole on the same tree: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/68796/saperda_populnea_-_exit_hole_earwig.html A couple of Saperda populnea found on the same tree: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48040/saperda_populnea_-_female.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48041/saperda_populnea_-_male_collage.html Cerambycidae,Coleoptera,Exit hole,Gall,Geotagged,Netherlands,Saperda,Saperda populnea,Small poplar borer

Habitat

S. populnea is a forest pest which primarily attacks species of poplar (Populus spp.) and willow (Salix spp.). It also attacks Blue Japanese Oak (Quercus glauca) and Java Bishopwood (Bischofia javanica).

Reproduction

Eggs oval, are about 2.4 mm long and 0.7 mm wide. One end of the egg is somewhat pointed, and the middle is curved.

The larva is 10-15 mm long with a yellowish-brown head. It is initially milk-white, later light yellow and dark yellow when fully grown. The epicranium draws back deeply into the prothorax. The palpus maxillaris has three segments and the palpus labialis has two segments. The pronotum is yellowish-brown with ossification. The stoma is brown. There is an obvious median line on the dorsum.

The pupa is 11-15 mm long and brown with a very obvious median dorsal line on the abdomen.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/48317
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderColeoptera
FamilyCerambycidae
GenusSaperda
SpeciesSaperda populnea
Photographed in
Netherlands