PETROGNATHA GIGAS BEETLE
GIANT AFRICAN LONGHORN BEETLE

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Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Cerambycidae

Subfamily: Lamiinae

Genus: Petrognatha

Species: P. Gigas

PETROGNATHA GIGAS

Petrognatha is a monotypic longhorn beetle genus belonging to the subfamily Lamiinae, tribe Petrognathini. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1792. Its only species, Petrognatha gigas, the giant African longhorn beetle, described in the same year by Fabricius, 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.

The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae; also known as long-horned beetles or longicorns) 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. In various members of the family, however, the antennae are quite short and such species can be difficult to distinguish from related beetle families such as Chrysomelidae.

The family is large, with over 20,000 species described, slightly more than half from the Eastern Hemisphere. Several are serious pests. The larvae, called roundheaded borers, bore into wood, where they can cause extensive damage to either living trees or untreated lumber. A number of species mimic ants, bees, and wasps, though a majority of species are cryptically colored. The rare titan beetle from northeastern South America is often considered the largest insect, with a maximum known body length of just over 16.7 centimetres (6.6 in).

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