Polytopism
Guides
Crossidius coralinus coralinus
Crossidius coralinus coralinus is the nominate subspecies of a striking longhorned beetle endemic to western North America. Adults are active during late August and September, when they congregate on yellow flowers of their larval host plant, Ericameria nauseosa (gray rabbitbrush). The nominate subspecies is characterized by relatively large body size and extensive black markings on the elytra, particularly in females. It occurs in the southwestern Colorado region near Cortez, where some individuals exceed 20 mm in length.
Crossidius coralinus fulgidus
rabbitbrush longhorned beetle
Crossidius coralinus fulgidus is a strikingly colored subspecies of longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) endemic to the western United States. Adults are active in fall rather than spring or summer, a seasonal pattern unusual for the family. They are intimately associated with rabbitbrush and related composite shrubs, where adults feed, mate, and shelter among the yellow flowers. Males possess exceptionally long antennae relative to females. This subspecies exhibits the bright red and black coloration characteristic of the C. coralinus complex.