Phoracantha

Phoracantha

*Phoracantha* Newman, 1840 is a genus of medium-large longhorn beetles, 15–35 mm in length, instantly recognisable by their warm brown elytra patterned with contrasting ivory markings. Native to Australia, several species have established as invasive pests across the Mediterranean basin, southern Africa, and South America, arriving in southern Europe around the 1970s. Their hosts in the Palearctic are almost exclusively *Eucalyptus* plantations, making them among the most economically significant cerambycids in introduced regions, where they are listed on the EPPO A2 quarantine register. Biological control using the egg parasitoid *Avetianella longoi* has been explored as a management tool a…

Seasonal activity

Flight season: Summer–Autumn

Green = active months · Orange = peak

Host plants

Primary hosts: broadleaf

External resources

GBIF · Wikidata · Käfer der Welt

Field tip: Australian invasive in the Mediterranean. Only on Eucalyptus. Nocturnal, attracted to light.