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Here is a marginally better photo of the same large beetle. It appears to have spines on its thorax so probably is an Orthosoma brunneum - Brown Prionid (expanding arrows at top right): https://www.flickr.com/photos/92981528@N08/15084826131/ Nancy On 2014-08-30, at 8:04 PM, David <dbmcc09@gmail.com> wrote: > Nancy: > > I think your assumption is correct, Brown Prionid. I just cannot see the spines on the thorax clearly on my computer to be sure. > > With most insects, there are more similar species in NS than most of us realize. There are more than 100 species of Cerambycidae, that is long-horned wood boring beetles in NS. > > Just because we do not know exactly which species, does not mean we should not marvel at them and pay attention to them. > > DBMcC > Georges RIver, NS > > David McCorquodale > Georges River, NS > > > On Sat, Aug 30, 2014 at 6:53 PM, nancy dowd <nancypdowd@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Jim and David > > I was basing the beetle ID of Brown Prionid (Orthosoma brunneum), indicated below the photo, on the assumption it was the same species of large beetle people on NatureNS had kindly identified for me last year when I first encountered it here. I did not know there were other similar ones it could be confused with. My mistake. > > Jim- the nursery web of this spider was about 2' away from where the confrontation took place. This spider is very protective and always comes out whenever any of us, including the Lab, walk by too. Not knowing the family dynamics of these spiders I did not know whether male or female cared for the young although it is probably the mother. > > Nancy > > > On 2014-08-30, at 6:34 PM, David McCorquodale <dbmcc09@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Nancy and jim: > > > > > > One subfamily of Cerambycidae is the Prioninae, sometimes called prionids. There are two species in this group in NS. I suspect this is Orthosoma brunneum, referred to as Brown Prionid on BugGuide. The larvae feed in roots and even the bases of telephone poles. They must be tough! > > > > > > The other species is Tragosoma harrisii (previously considered as part of the Old World T. depsarium). It lacks the spines on the side of the thorax that Orthosoma has. > > > > > > I suspect both are reasonably common in NS, but they are infrequently collected. > > > > > > > > DBMcC > > > > Georges River, NS > > > > > > David McCorquodale > > Georges River, NS > > > > > > On Sat, Aug 30, 2014 at 5:41 PM, Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> wrote: > > Nancy, Correct me if I’m wrong on this, but I don’t think the father nursery-web spider would be involved in web/nursery defense. How far away is the nursery-web? And your Prionid Beetle looks like a long-horned wood-boring beetle to me, i.e. a Cerambycid — is “prionid” just an abbreviation for a subfamily of cerambycids? Forgive me for this, but my insect books are no longer anywhere near my computer when I am at home. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > >> From: nancy dowd <nancypdowd@gmail.com> > >> Subject: [NatureNS] Prionid beetle vs Nursery Web Spider > >> Date: August 29, 2014 at 7:53:04 PM ADT > >> To: "naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > >> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > >> > >> The Nursery Web Spider is the aggressor in this photo (details below image): > >> https://www.flickr.com/photos/92981528@N08/14890079810/ > >> > >> The big (35mm) Brown Prionid seemed to want to remain lodged under its clapboard but was continually being harassed by mother (father?) spider who has a nursery web nearby. The beetle did eventually relocate further along the side of the camp for the day. > >> > >> Nancy > > > > > >
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