Tillomorphini

Genus Guides

Tillomorphini is a tribe of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) within the Cerambycinae. The tribe contains approximately 14 distributed across the Neotropical and Nearctic regions, including Arawakia, Bonfilsia, Calliclytus, Euderces, Gourbeyrella, Lamproclytus, Licracantha, Mygalobas, Pentanodes, Tetranodus, Tilloglomus, and Tillomorpha. Members of this tribe are generally small beetles, with some exhibiting remarkable -mimicry. The genus Euderces in particular contains some of the smallest cerambycid beetles and is noted for effective myrmecomorphic adaptations.

Euderces by (c) Justin Williams, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Justin Williams. Used under a CC-BY license.

Tilloclytus geminatus by (c) Jacob Weston, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jacob Weston. Used under a CC-BY license.

Tilloclytus geminatus by (c) Zachary Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Zachary Dankowicz. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Tillomorphini: /ˌtɪloʊˈmɔːrfɪnaɪ/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Distribution

Neotropical and Nearctic regions. Specific distribution varies by ; for example, Euderces occurs in North America including the eastern United States, while other genera such as Tillomorpha and related are primarily Neotropical.

Behavior

Some members, particularly in the Euderces, exhibit -mimicry (myrmecomorphy). These beetles are small, slow-moving, and possess morphological adaptations including humped that create the illusion of a narrow-waisted ant. Unlike other ant-mimicking cerambycids that move swiftly, Euderces move slowly and clumsily, resembling ant movement patterns.

Similar Taxa

AnaglyptiniAnother tribe within Cerambycinae containing small -mimicking longhorn beetles; both tribes share myrmecomorphic tendencies and small body size
ClytiniTribe in Cerambycinae that also includes -mimicking ; distinguished from Tillomorphini by different morphological features and generally more active movement patterns

More Details

Included genera

The tribe comprises 14 : Arawakia, Bonfilsia, Calliclytus, Epipodocarpus, Epropetes, Euderces, Gourbeyrella, Lamproclytus, Licracantha, Mygalobas, Pentanodes, Tetranodus, Tilloglomus, and Tillomorpha

Taxonomic status

Accepted as a valid tribe within Cerambycinae; classification follows Catalogue of Life and NCBI databases