Aromia moschata

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Coleopterida
Ordo: Coleoptera
Subordo: Polyphaga
Infraordo: Cucujiformia
Cladus: Phytophaga
Superfamilia: Chrysomeloidea

Familia: Cerambycidae
Subfamilia: Cerambycinae
Tribus: Callichromatini
Genus: Aromia
Species: A. moschata –
Subspecies: A. m. ambrosiaca – A. m. cruenta – A. m. jankovskyi – A. m. moschata – A. m. sumbarensis – A. m. vetusta
Name

Aromia moschata (Linnaeus, 1758: 391)

Synonymy

Cerambyx moschatus Linnaeus, 1758: 391
Cerambyx odoratus DeGeer, 1775
Cerambyx citrinus Voet, 1778
Callichroma moschata Latreille, 1816
Cerambyx chlorophanus Fischer, 1824
Aromia moschata Audinet-Serville, 1833
Terambus moschatus Gistel, 1856
Aromia moschata m. melancholica Reitter, 1895
Aromia moschata m. cuprata Reitter, 1906
Aromia moschata m. nigrocyanea Reitter, 1906
Aromia moschata m. picipes Reitter, 1906
Aromia moschata m. binaeva Reitter, 1906
Aromia moschata m. laevicollis Reitter, 1907
Aromia alata Costa, 1855
Aromia moschata cruenta Bogatchev, 1962
Aromia moschata vetusta Bogatchev, 1962

References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiæ: impensis direct. Laurentii Salvii. i–ii, 1–824 pp DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.542: 391. Reference page.

Links

Cerambycidae of the World.

Vernacular names
català: Mosca d'olor o macuba
čeština: Tesařík pižmový
dansk: Moskusbuk
Deutsch: Moschusbock
English: Musk beetle
français: Aromie musquée
magyar: Pézsmacincér
italiano: Moscardina
日本語: ジャコウカミキリ
lietuvių: Muskusinis ūsuotis
latviešu: Zaļais vītolgrauzis jeb zaļais vītolu koksngrauzis
Nederlands: Muskusboktor
norsk: Moskusbukk
polski: Wonnica piżmówka
русский: Усач мускусный, усач мускусный обыкновенный, или мускусник
slovenčina: Fuzáč pižmový
svenska: Myskbock
українська: Вусач пахучий мускусний

The musk beetle (Aromia moschata) is a Eurasian species of longhorn beetle belonging to the subfamily Cerambycinae, tribe Callichromatini. Its name comes from the delicate musky smell it emits when menaced.

Description

This beetle is characterised by very long antennae (like all other cerambycids[1]) and a somewhat coppery or greenish metallic tint. The typical form, characterised by a pronotum with a metallic color, is widespread in Europe, except for most of Spain and Southern Italy. In such regions, in North Africa, and in Asia to Japan, the species is represented by some subspecies characterised by a more or less red pronotum. The antennae are longer than the entire head and body length in male and as long as body in females. Nevertheless, the Oriental subspecies have usually shorter antennae.
Close-up of the mouthparts

The musk beetle can be found in Great Britain locally, for example at Caldicot and Wentloog Levels otherwise known as Gwent Levels SSSI[2]

Biology
Mating musk beetles

The adults are usually found on leaves, especially those of the willow trees, where the larva of this species lives. The secretion with the characteristic musky smell is produced in thoracic glands, and is expelled through openings located on the distal part of the metasternum, near the hind legs articulation. The secretion was formerly supposed to contain salicylaldehyde or a salicylic ether, but there is now evidence that it consists instead mainly of four different monoterpenes,[3] among which is rose oxide, one of the most important fragrances in perfumery.
Musk beetle (Aromia moschata)
Subspecies[4]

Aromia moschata ambrosiaca Steven & Sherman, 1809
Aromia moschata cruenta Bogatschev, 1962
Aromia moschata jankovskyi Danilevsky, 2007
Aromia m. moschata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Aromia moschata orientalis Plavilstshikov, 1932
Aromia moschata sumbarensis Danilevsky, 2007
Aromia moschata vetusta Jankovsky, 1934

References

A review of the chemical ecology of the Cerambycidae (Coleoptera), Jeremy D. Allison, John H. Borden and Steven J. Seybold, Chemoecology, 14, pp 123–150 (2004)
Natural World Magazine, Spring 2009, The Wildlife Trust, published by Think publishing
G. Vidari, . De Bernardi, M. Pavan and L. Ragozzino (1973) Rose Oxide and Iridodial from Aromia moschata (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Tetrahedron Letters, 41, pp 4065-4068
Genus: Aromia