Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Bilateria
Branch: Protostomia
Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Mandibulata
Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Superclass: Panhexapoda
Epiclass: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Dicondylia
Infraclass: Pterygota
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Superfamily: Chrysomeloidea
Family: Cerambycidae
Genus: Blosyropus
Scientific name: Blosyropus spinosus
Common name: Spiny Longhorn, Spined blosyropus, Spiny silver-pine borer.
The rare Blosyropus spinosus (Spiny longhorn beetle) is found at scattered localities over much of New Zealand. This rare flightless beetle is classed as a New Zealand Category 1 Threatened Species.
It is a large nocturnal, flightless beetle (8cm long). This beetle has four large spines in front of the wing-covers and another two on the head. The female often lays eggs high in the leaves of Dracophyllum (grass trees). The grubs tunnel into the rotting wood of dead trees of the species Beilschmiedia tawa (Tawa), Nothofagus fusca (New Zealand Red Beech), Pinus radiata (Monterey Pine) and Metrosideros excelsa (Pohutukawa). The larvae live in burrows just below ground level, blocked with plugs of chewed wood. Emergence is typically from August through to February.
Grub of the Spiny Longhorn found in a rotting log in New Plymouth
The underside of the grub
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
