Harlequin Beetles (Acrocinus longimanus)
Pricing: $50-$100 (male) or $50-$60 (female), depending on size
Geographic Range: Southern Mexico to Brazil
View: Top View
Sex: Female (top) & Male (bottom)
Size: Body Length: 43-75 mm
Acrocinus longimanus is a fantastic Neotropical longhorn beetle, conspicuous for it's large size, beautiful colors and the amazing length of the front legs on the males. These elongated limbs (much reduced in the female) are a secondary sex characteristic, used in mating, although they do also help them traverse the tree trunks on which they can be found. Females seek out old trees, such as Ficus, that are infested with bracket fungi. An incision is made in the bark and an egg deposited. Larvae bore into the timber for 7-8 months and then pupate for the remainder of the year, to finally emerge and start the cycle anew.