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NOTE: As of 2014, the California Beetle Project page is no longer updated. The original database and list of California beetles in the menu on the left will remain for the time being, but the information contained within is not necessarily current. SBMNH Entomology Curator Matthew L. Gimmel has divided up the function of the original database into two conceptual halves:

  1. The SBMNH Entomology specimen-level database, including all SBMNH beetle specimens included in the CBP database, which is now available (and ever-growing) through the ecdysis portal at https://serv.biokic.asu.edu/ecdysis/

  2. A literature- (and available specimen-)based checklist.
  3. of the Coleoptera of California, which is being revised and re-compiled by Dr. Gimmel, and, as of January 2017, is about 85% complete.




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Last updated 01/16/2009

 California Beetle Project > Species Pages > Prionus californicus

Classification

Scientific name: Prionus californicus Motschulsky
    Order Coleoptera
    Superfamily Chrysomeloidea
    Family Cerambycidae

Images (click to enlarge)

What it looks like: 2.0-4.0 cm in length. Its body is reddish-brown, robust, and shiny, with long legs, large mandibles, and long, serrated antennae.

Where you'll find it: They range from Canada through the western United States. They are found all throughout California, but do not commonly appear in desert regions.

Natural History: These long-horned beetles are nocturnal and most active at twilight and before sunrise. The larvae are root feeders and can cause serious damage to oak, madrone, cottonwood and many types of fruit trees including apple, peach, and cherry.

This page was written by Maren Farnum, a 2005 California Beetle Project intern.




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