Stinking Longicorn

Stenoderus suturalis

Stenoderus suturalis is a lycid mimic longicorn (longhorn) beetle found in the southern parts of Australia.
Stinking Longicorn - Stenoderus suturalis, Australia,Eamw beetles,Geotagged,Spring,Stenoderus suturalis,Stinking Longicorn,eamw Long Horn beetle

Appearance

About 18mm body length,
Legs, head and thorax glossy black.
Elytra textured and coloured orange like Lycidae including a central black patch.
Stinking Longicorn (Stenoderus suturalis) Another lycid mimic in the ring. Looking very like some species of Lycid beetles these longicorns were active all over a large clump of Daucus sp.?. About 18mm long body. Found in a local nature reserve. "So named for the stink they produce when threatened. They have a 'pit-and-tongue' organ placed at either side of their face below their eyes. ...They constitute a depression over which the 'tongue', or spine, lies. Each of these structures are connected by long tubular reservoirs containing the laced oils. Remarkably these reservoirs extend through almost the entire length of the insect's body. When threatened a pungent fluid is drawn out at the tongues to fill the facial pits below.".. Thanks Tony D http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:c48f2e4e-d78b-4bf2-b07b-081fb4332c89 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1440-6055.1971.tb00033.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1440-6055.1989.tb00889.x/pdf Australia,Geotagged,Spring,Stenoderus suturalis,Stinking Longicorn

Naming

Synonyms:
Cerambyx suturalis Olivier, 1795
Cerambyx abbreviatus Fabricius, 1810
Leptura ceramboides Kirby, 1818
Stenoderus dorsalis Boisduval, 1835
Stenoderus labiatus Pascoe, 1859
Stenoderus suturalis Australia,Eamw beetles,Geotagged,Spring,Stenoderus suturalis,Stinking Longicorn

Distribution

Southern parts of Australia including WA. SA, Victoria, Tasmania, NSW
Stinking Longicorn - Stenoderus suturalis Feeding on Scented Groundsel Senecio odoratus. Australia,Geotagged,Spring,Stenoderus suturalis,Stinking Longicorn

Defense

1. Mimicry of Lycidae
2. Expulsion of stinking fluid near the eyes.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:c48f2e4e-d78b-4bf2-b07b-081fb4332c89#
http://eol.org/pages/120979/overview
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderColeoptera
FamilyCerambycidae
GenusStenoderus
SpeciesStenoderus suturalis
Photographed in
Australia