Barbel Sky - the most beautiful beetle of Primorye

Barbel or lumberjack is a family of beetles whose life is closely related to wood. Their offspring develops inside the trunks of coniferous or deciduous trees. Less commonly, larvae live in the stems and roots of plants. Among more than 26 thousand species, a representative of the relict genus Rosalia, barbel celestial, stands out with a bright color. The poetic name is given to the bug for the blue hairline. The habitat of this species of woodcutter is limited to part of China and the Primorsky Territory of Russia. In places of residence, the number of insects is rapidly declining. Barbel heavenly is listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Morphological description of the species

Heavenly Lumberjack is a medium-sized bug with a body length of 15-35 mm. The species belongs to a large family of barbel, the genus Rosalie. The blue or turquoise hairline defined the name of the insect - heavenly barbel or emerald rosalia (Rosaliacoelestis). The body is flat, elongated. On a bright blue background, a contrasting black pattern. Dark spots are located on the cheeks, scutellum of the pronotum. The lateral teeth of the flap are poorly developed.

Elytra 3 rows of wide transverse bandages. The middle and back strip are closed, and the upper one is intermittent. Under the hard elytra lies a pair of well-developed smoky wings. The photo of the barbel of heaven shows that the antennae are much longer than the body. Beetles lack pronounced sexual dimorphism; in females and males, the organ extends beyond the end of the abdomen. The antennae are variegatedly colored, blue and black areas alternate.

Information. The species Rosaliacoelestis was first described by the Russian geographer and botanist P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky in 1911.

From the third to the sixth (in females, to the eighth), the segments are covered with tufts of black hard hairs. At the base of the antennae are complex facet shaped eyes of a notched shape. Legs of walking type, consist of five parts. The main color is black, on the hips, lower legs and legs there are bluish patches. The forelimbs are noticeably shorter than the hind limbs.

Habitat

The habitat of emerald rosalia is quite limited. In Russia, the beetle is found in the forests of the Ussuri-Primorsky Territory. Abroad, the Russian Federation lives on the Korean Peninsula, in the northeastern provinces of China. Longhorn beetles are broad-leaved and mixed forests, it is in such biotypes that the fodder plant of the larvae Acertegmentosum (green-maple) grows.

Development features

Adults are active in the daytime, they like hot sunny weather. Most likely to meet them sitting on tree trunks, from 12 to 16 hours. The beetles have years in the second half of July and the beginning of August. The adult's lifespan is limited to two weeks. Immediately after exiting the pupa, they begin to look for a mating partner. Fertilized females lay eggs under the bark of trees.

The eggs are light, oblong (length 3 mm, cross section 1 mm). The masonry can be placed in crevices in groups of 3-5 or individually. Females of the lumberjack choose thick trunks of shrunken green maple, less often Japanese elm. The masonry is placed at a height of 0.5 to 10 m. The fertility of the female barbel is 50-80 eggs.

Information. Emerald rosalia is distinguished by a sedentary lifestyle, one tree can be inhabited by larvae for several years in a row.

Lumberjack larvae lead a secretive lifestyle, developing in dried, but not fallen maple trunks. The offspring appears 2-3 weeks after laying eggs. The larva is light, fleshy, with a brown head capsule. Lays longitudinal moves 6-9 mm wide in sapwood. On pronotum, transverse reddish streak and dense hairs. The length of the adult larva is 30-35 mm. Motor corns are wrinkled. After three wintering, she prepares for pupation and builds a cradle. Pupils in June, pupal length 20-28 mm.

Related view

The emerald European species of lumberjacks, the alpine barbel, is extremely similar to the rosemary. Its elytra, antennae and limbs are covered with bluish hairs and black spots. Beetles are active during the day, years lasts throughout the summer period. Larvae develop on beech, hornbeam, oak. Alpine lumberjack is also listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Security status

Barbel sky is rare and local. The abundance of the species decreased significantly as a result of deforestation, fires, and the massive collection of beetles by collectors. Rosalia emerald got into the Red Book of Russia in the second category. Insects are protected in the Ussuri Nature Reserve. To preserve the species, it is necessary to abandon the felling of green maple.

Interesting fact

In 2012, the Central Bank of Russia issued a 2-ruble silver coin with the image of a barbel in heaven. She entered the series "Red Book", dedicated to the popularization of species that are on the verge of destruction.