Gnathacmaeops pratensis
This record describes Gnathacmaeops pratensis (species). Recorded family: Cerambycidae. Recorded order: Coleoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Gnathacmaeops pratensis is a species of the Lepturinae subfamily in the long-horned beetle family. This beetle is distributed in Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, China, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United States. The adult beetle feeds on Norway spruce.
Wikipedia reference for Gnathacmaeops pratensis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnathacmaeops_pratensis.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Coleoptera (Beetles)
- Suborder
- Polyphaga
- Superfamily
- Chrysomeloidea
- Family
- Cerambycidae (Longhorn Beetles)
- Subfamily
- Lepturinae
- Tribe
- Acmaeopini
- Genus
- Gnathacmaeops
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Holarctic, incl. boreal NA
About Primitive Winged Insects: the wider group
Order-level background for Coleoptera, the group containing Gnathacmaeops pratensis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Coleoptera is the largest order of insects with over 400,000 described species, representing ~25% of all known animal species and ~40% of all insects. In the U.S. alone, nearly 30,000 beetle species have been identified.
Ecological role of the group
Beetles are prominent decomposers, especially in forests, breaking down dead wood and recycling nutrients. As predators, they reduce populations of pest insects. Many species are also important pollinators of flowering plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Beetles have major economic significance: leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and weevils (Curculionoidea) are among the most destructive agricultural pests globally, costing billions annually, while predatory species like ladybugs provide natural pest control.
Recorded sources for this group: Britannica, Smithsonian, NCSU Entomology. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Gnathacmaeops pratensis (6)
Photo credits: (c) Matt Bowser, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Bowser | (c) Simon Kingston, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Simon Kingston | (c) Russell Pfau, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Russell Pfau | (c) John D Reynolds, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John D Reynolds | (c) Tony Iwane, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Tony Iwane | Contributed by Tom Bentley; Additional contributions by v belov