(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
OTHER COMMON NAMES - BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY; BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY and CALIFORNIA
ELEMENT CODE -
CATEGORY - Terrestrial Insects
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - ARTHROPODA,
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - INSECTA,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - COLEOPTERA,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - CERAMBYCIDAE,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - DESMOCERUS,
SPECIES AND SSP - CALIFORNICUS, DIMORPHUS
SCIENTIFIC NAME - DESMOCERUS CALIFORNICUS DIMORPHUS
AUTHORITY -
TAXONOMY REFERENCES -
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle
Desmocerus californicua dimorphus Fisher, 1921
KINGDOM: Animal GROUP: Insect
PHYLUM: Arthropoda CLASS: Insecta
ORDER: Coleoptera FAMILY: Cerambycidae
Morphological description: In general, longhorn beetles are
characterized by somewhat elongate and cylindrical bodies with long
antennae, often in excess of 2/3 of the body length. In contrast,
males of valley elderberry longhorn beetle are stout-bodied and
their elytra (thickened, hardened forewings) are coarsely punctured,
with a metallic-green pattern of 4 oblong maculations, surrounded by
a bright red-orange border. The border eventually fades to yellow on
museum specimens. The maculations are fused on some males, more
closely resembling the nominate subspecies. Antennae are about as
long as the body or shorter. Body length is about 13-21 mm.
Females are more robust, elytra are subparallel, and the dark
pattern is not reduced. Antennae reach to about the middle of the
elytra and body length is about 18-25 mm. Both sexes of valley
elderberry longhorn beetles are readily identified due to their
distinctive appearance. As noted earlier, males with fused
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
maculations resemble the nominate subspecies, Desmocerus californicus
californicus Horn, 1881. For further information on morphology,
consult Linsley and Chemsak (02).
Nomenclature: The valley elderberry longhorn beetle was first
described as Desmocerus dimorphus by Fisher in 1921 (02). In 1936
Doane applied the name Desmocerus californicus dimorphus (02).
The dichromatic color pattern differences between males and
females is reflected by the subspecies' scientific name,
Desmocerus californicus dimorphus Fisher, 1921. No synonyms are
known for either the species D. californicus Horn 1881, or
subspecies, D. c. dimorphus. Type locality is, Sacramento, CA (02).
Another common name for this species is the California elderberry
longhorn beetle (04).
Descriptions, Photos, Collection:
Descriptions - Linsley and Chemsak (02), Arnold (03).
Photos - Arnold (03).
Collections - Essig Museum of Entomology, Univ. of CA, Berkeley.
Taxonomy - 2 (DRAFT) - Status
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
STATUS
Coded Status
T: Federal Threatened
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
U.S. STATUSES AND LAWS:
The valley elderberry longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus
dimorphus) has been designated Threatened pursuant to the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (50 CFR 17.11; P.L. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884; 16
U.S.C. 1531-1540), as amended. The subspecies has this status
wherever found including the State of California. Critical Habitat
has been designated in areas of the City of Sacramento, the American
River Parkway, and Goethe Park, Sacramento County, CA
(50 CFR 17.95(i)).
This subspecies is protected by the Lacey Act (P.L. 97-79,
as amended; 16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.) which makes it unlawful to import,
export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any wild animal
(alive or dead including parts, products, eggs, or offspring):
(1) in interstate or foreign commerce if taken, possessed,
transported or sold in violation of any State law or
regulation, or foreign law; or
(2) if taken or possessed in violation of any U.S. law,
treaty, or regulation or in violation of Indian tribal law.
It is also unlawful to possess any wild animal (alive or dead
including parts, products, eggs, and offspring) within the U.S.
territorial or special maritime jurisdiction (as defined in
18 U.S.C. 7) that is taken, possessed, transported, or sold in
violation of any State law or regulation, foreign law, or Indian
tribal law.
RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL AGENCIES:
USFWS -Responsible for the management/recovery, listing, and
law enforcement/protection of this species.
All Federal agencies have responsibility to ensure that any
action authorized, funded, or carried out by that agency is not likely
to jeopardize the continued existence of the species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of Critical Habitat (50 CFR 402),
and to utilize their authorities to carry out programs for the
conservation of the species.
STATE STATUSES AND LAWS:
STATE: California
DESIGNATED STATUS: None.
INTERNATIONAL STATUSES, TREATIES, AND AGREEMENTS:
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
The valley elderberry longhorn beetle is listed as vulnerable in
the 1986 IUCN Red List of threatened animals.
ECONOMIC STATUSES:
None.
78/08/10:43 FR 35636/35643 - Proposed as Threatened with Crit. Hab.
80/05/02:45 FR 29373/29375 - Reproposal of Critical Habitat
80/08/08:45 FR 52803/52807 - Listed Threatened w/Crit. Hab.- name chg.
85/06/22:50 FR 29901/29909 - Five year review
Status - 2 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - TERRESTRIAL
INLAND AQUATIC
LAND USE -
Residential
Industrial
Transportation, communications, and Util
Industrial and Commercial Complexes
Mixed Urban or Built-up Land
Cropland and Pasture
Streams and Canals
Reservoirs
Forested Wetland
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Palustrine FO1
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
The valley elderberry longhorn beetle is endemic to remnants of
moist valley oak woodlands associated with riparian systems in the
lower Sacramento and upper San Joaquin valleys of California (02,03),
where its foodplant, elderberry, grows. These remnants of riparian
forest are difficult to characterize because they occur in many
different forms throughout the valley. Under ideal conditions, these
forests consisted of several canopy layers with a dense undergrowth
(05). Populus fremontii (cottonwood), Platanus racemosa (sycamore),
Salix spp. (willow), and Quercus lobata (valley oak) were common
upper canopy species. The intermediate canopies consisted of Acer
negundo var. californicum (maple), Fraxinus latifolia (ash), Sambucus
spp. (elder), and various Salix spp. (willow). Vines were abundant in
all canopy layers of the riparian forest. Undergrowth vegetation was
quite diverse and today includes a number of exotic weeds. Canopy
layers at sites of recent valley elderberry longhorn beetle
collections include at least some if not all of the above noted trees.
Due to urban and agricultural development within the beetle's
range, today elderberry grows in a number of unnatural areas, for
example, urban parks, power-line corridors, agricultural land, etc.,
that formerly were riverine floodplains, but which now represent lands
reclaimed by man.
Specific physical and environmental parameters required by the
valley elderberry longhorn beetle are largely unknown at this time.
Valley elderberry longhorn beetle larvae bore in stems of Sambucus,
feeding on the pith. Presumably, smaller larvae can feed within
smaller stems and larger, mature larvae require larger diameter
stems, but precise size requirements are unknown and require
further study. Arnold (03) suggests that new growth stems, i.e.,
sapplings, may be important and limiting food resource.
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
HERBIVORE
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Deciduous Shrubs-Leaves/Twigs
General Deciduous Shrubs-Flowers/Fruit/Seed
General Deciduous Trees-Leaves/Twigs
General Deciduous Trees-Flowers/Fruit/Seed
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Human Association: Public residential parks
G
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
LIFE HISTORY
OOD HABITS:
The valley elderberry longhorn beetle feeds on at least one
species of elderberry and perhaps as many as three Sambucus taxa.
Unfortunately the taxonomy of this section of Sambucus is confused at
this time. The taxa S. glaucus Nutt., S. caerulea Raf. and
S. mexicana Presl. may all be valley elderberry longhorn beetle
foodplants (02,03).
Eggs and pupae of valley elderberry longhorn beetle do not feed;
larvae feed on the pith of elderberry stems, and adults feed on
elderberry flowers and possibly foliage (02,03).
HOME RANGE/TERRITORY:
No information.
PERIODICITY:
Collection records indicate that adults may be found from
mid-March until early June, but most records were for late April to
mid-May (02,03). Adults are diurnal (02,03).
MIGRATION PATTERNS:
No information.
COVER/SHELTER REQUIREMENTS:
Cover and shelter consists of riparian areas with elderberry
(02,03). No information on minimum area of cover or other
requirements is known.
REPRODUCTIVE SITE REQUIREMENTS:
Presence of elderberry is needed for reproduction (02,03). No
information on other requirements.
REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS:
No information is known.
PARENTAL CARE:
None.
POPULATION BIOLOGY:
Limiting factors were discussed in field "N-REASON". The
destruction of riparian forests and the need for the larval food
plant, elderberry (Sambucus) are the primary factors limiting this
species (02,03). No information on other factors.
SPECIES INTERRELATIONSHIPS:
There appears to be a host-parasite interrelationship with the
sole larval and adult foodplant, elderberry (02,03).
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Maintaining undisturbed/undeveloped areas
Beneficial Land Acquisition
Beneficial Controlling/Restricting Pesticide Use
Beneficial Controlling/Restricting Herbicide Use
Beneficial Controlling/Restricting Agricultural Practice
Beneficial Reforestation
Beneficial Maintaining Early Stages of Succession
Beneficial Controlling/Removing Nonnative Vegetation
Beneficial Stocking captive-reared wild-strain animals
Beneficial Transplanting wild animals
Beneficial Controlling/Removing Domestic Animals
Adverse Rural Residential/Industrial Areas
Existing Rural Residential/Industrial Areas
Adverse Recreational development
Existing Recreational development
Adverse Soil compaction by heavy equipment in mine areas
Existing Soil compaction by heavy equipment in mine areas
Adverse Dredging
Existing Dredging
Adverse Developing/maintaining stream bank vegetation
Existing Developing/maintaining stream bank vegetation
Adverse Applying herbicides
Existing Applying herbicides
Adverse Applying pesticides
Existing Applying pesticides
Adverse Grazing
Existing Grazing
Adverse
Existing
Adverse Vegetation Composition Changes
Existing Vegetation Composition Changes
Adverse Forest Alteration
Existing Forest Alteration
Adverse Harvesting
Existing Harvesting
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
The valley elderberry longhorn beetle is endemic to moist valley
oak woodlands along the margins of rivers and streams in the Lower
Sacramento and upper San Joaquin Valleys of California, where
elderberry (Sambucus spp.), its foodplant, grows (02,03). During the
past 150 years over 90% of the riparian habitat in California has
been destroyed by agricultural and urban development (05). Although
the entire historical distribution of valley elderberry longhorn
beetle is unknown, the extensive destruction of riparian forests of
the central valley of California strongly suggests that the beetle's
range may have shrunk and become greatly fragmented.
Due to the limited knowledge about the valley elderberry longhorn
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
beetle's life history, and its ecological requirements, precise
threats to its survival are difficult to enumerate. Clearly the
primary threat to survival of the valley elderberry longhorn beetle
has been and continues to be loss and alteration of habitat by
agricultural conversion, grazing, levee construction, stream and
river channelization, removal of riparian vegetation, rip-rapping
of shoreline, plus recreational, industrial and urban development
(03). Insecticide and herbicide use in agricultural areas may be
factors limiting the beetle's distribution (03). The age and quality
of individual elderberry shrubs/trees and stands as a foodplant for
the beetle may also be a factor in its limited distribution (03).
There is little information on former abundance of the valley
elderberry longhorn beetle for comparison with current population
levels. A.T. McClay collected 51 adults during May 1947 (06). Dr.
John A. Chemsak, a cerambycid specialist from the University of
California, Berkeley, believes that valley elderberry longhorn
beetle has probably always been rather rare and of limited abundance
(03).
APPROVED PLAN:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1984. Valley Elderberry Longhorn
Beetle Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., Portland, OR.
62 pp.
The primary objectives for the only known valley elderberry
longhorn beetle colonies are to: protect the three known
locations; survey raparian vegetation along certain Central Valley
rivers for remaining colonies and habitat; provide protection to
remaining habitat within the beetles historic range; and determine the
number of sites and populations necessary to eventually delist the
species.
A step-down outline of recovery plans for this species follows:
1. Preserve and protect known sites to provide adequate conditions
for the beetle.
A) Minimize further degradation, development or environmental
modification of habitat (i.e., minimize activities
that are incompatible with habitat maintenance, pesticide
use, herbicide use, control domestic animal damage,
maintain early stages of succession, control and restrict
agricultural practices, and removes exotic plants).
2. Survey riparian forests of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys
for presence of the beetle and incorporate findings into managemnet
plans.
3. Determine ecological requirements and management needs.
4. Preserve and protect newly discovered beetle habitat to provide
suitable conditions for the species (by land acquistion and/or
land use planning).
5. Reestablish the beetle at rehabilitated habitat sites within the
presumed historical range. Steps to take with introductions are
as follows:
A) Determine suitability of site.
B) Protect site.
Management Practices - 2 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
C) Develop and implement a management plan for each site.
a) Rehabilitate selected riparian forest habitat.
- Remove exotic flora and fauna.
- Introduce necessary biological components
of beetle habitat as identified by previous
studies.
b) Obtain beetle stock for introduction from existing
colonies or captive propagation.
D) Reintroduce into selected sites.
6. Increase public awareness of the valley elderberry longhorn beetle
through education and information programs.
7. Enforce laws and regulations to protect the beetle.
Management Practices - 3 (DRAFT) - References
Species BEETLE, LONGHORN, ELDERBERRY, VALLEY
Species Id ESIS501001
Date 13 MAR 96
References
***** REFERENCES FOR ALL NARRATIVES EXCEPT N-OCCURRENCE *****
01 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1980. Determination of valley
elderberry longhorn beetle as a threatened species with critical
Habitat. Aug. 8, 1980. Fed. Reg. 45:52803-07.
02 Linsley, E.G. and J.A. Chemsak. 1972. Cerambycidae of North
America. Part VI, No. 1. Taxonomy and classification of the
Subfamily Lepturinae. Univ. of Calif. Publ. in Entomology
69:1-138.
03 Arnold, R.A. 1983. Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Recovery
Plan. Agency Review Draft. USFWS, Portland, OR.
04 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1980. Endangered and threatened
wildlife and plants; reproposal of critical habitat for California
elderberry longhorn beetle. May, 1980. Fed. Reg. 45:29373-75.
05 Katihah, E.F. 1983. A brief history of the riparian forests in
the Great Central Valley of California. California Riparian
Systems Conference (in press).
06 Eya, B.K. 1976. Distribution and status of a longhorn beetle,
Desmocerus californicus dimorphus Fisher (Coleoptera:
Cerambycidae). Unpubl. M. 6 pp.
***** REFERENCES FOR N-OCCURRENCE NARRATIVE ONLY *****
01 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1984. Valley Elderberry Longhorn
Beetle Recovery Plan. USFWS, Portland, OR. 62 pp.
02 Jones and Stokes Assoc., Inc. 1985. Survey of habitat and
populations of the valley elderberry longhorn beetle along the
Sacramento River. Progress Rept. to U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Sacramento, CA. 46 pp. & app.
References - 1