T.E.R:R.A.I.N - Taranaki Educational Resource: Research, Analysis and Information Network


Beetles Longhorn

Kingdom: Animalia 
Phylum: Arthropoda 
Class: Insecta 
Order: Coleoptera 
Family: Cerambycidae

Longhorn beetle family is a large and diverse beetle family, with 180+ species endemic to New ZealandThey are elongate, with narrow bodies and very long antennae. If captured, the longhorn beetles often make a high-pitched squeaking sound, produced by stridulation in the thorax. The adult beetles are often found on flowers where they feed on nectar; in other species adults do not feed at all. The larvae live in dead wood. These beetles are not soil animals strictly speaking, but may be found there occasionally. The huhu beetle (Prionoplus reticularis) is one of the largest New Zealand beetles.

A longhorm beetle of the family Cerambycidae