Genus Ceresium Newman

Ceresium Newman, 1842, Entomologist 1 : 322 (type-species Ceresium raripilum Newm., 1842)  loc. cit. - Pascoe, 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 3, 3 : 536. - Gahan, 1906b, Fauna British India, Col. 1 : 156. - Gressitt, 1940, Philip. J. Sci., 72 (1-2) : 51.; Gressitt, 1951c, Longicornia 2 : 154.

Diatomocephala Blanchard, 1853, Voy. Pole Sud, Zool. 4 : 266 (type-species : D. maculicollis Blanch., 1853) loc. cit. 

Raphidera Perris, 1855, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon., 2 (2) : 336 loc. cit.

Pneumida Thomson, 1864, Syst. Ceramb., 191 (type-species : P. argenteofasciata Th.) loc. cit.

Rhaphidodera Gemminger & Harold, 1873, Cat. Col. 9 : 2831 loc. cit.

Diagnostic characters : head suboblique; frons punctate; antennae slightly longer than body in male, as long as or shorter in female; 3 antennal segment usually longer than scape, sometimes subequal or a little shorter; prothorax longer than broad, punctate; mid intercoxal process broad, posterior margin sinuate; elytra parallel, rounded at apex, coarsely punctate basally and finner towards apex; tibiae hairy; hind femur not exceeding elytra; male has 6 abdominal segment, female has five.

Key to species of Ceresium in Sarawak

1.    Body reddish brown …….....……………………………………………..2
Body entirely black. - femoratum AURIVILLIUS, 1927

2(l)  Disc of pronotum without raised callosity; femora pedunculate at base ......3
Disc of pronotum with distinctive glabrous callosity; femora fusiform- clavate - flavipes (FABRICIUS, 1792)

3(2) Pronotum sparsely pubescences, sides convex, as long as broad; evenly puncture with brownish spots as if embeded in amber; femora brownish red, fuscous at apex - furtivum PASCOE, 1869
Pronotum densely pubescences except middle of disc, side subsinuate, disc  with a median narrow and glabrous longitudinal line; femora entire black - zeylanicum WHITE, 1855

Ceresium femoratum AURIVILLIUS

Body black to piceous with white pubescence; head, thorax and undersurfaces intense shinny black; scape and first few antennal segment black, apical segments fuscous; bristles on antennae whitish; elytra piceous; pedunculated base and apical tip of femora piceous, clavated part in between castaneous; basal 1/3 of tibiae piceous, the rest castaneous with long sparse bristles; tarsal segments castaneous.

Head gradually deflexed; mandible hastate, tip of molar overlap; suture between clypeus and frons obsolete; frons and vertex coarsely punctate, punctures posiferous; gena obsolete, interrupted in the middle; antennal insertion widely separated; canthus large, oblong; gula plicate in anterior, reticulo-punctate posteriorly; lower eye lobe reaching base of mandible. Antenna as long as body in ; evenly covered with pubescence, ventral setaceous on 1 - 6 or 7 basal segments; scape long, accrescent, extended beyond ,interior margin of prothorax, punctulate at base, apex rounded; 3 about 2/3 as long as scape; 4 shorter than 3; 5 - 8 longer than 4, as long as scape; 9 - 11 decreased in length again. Prothorax squarish; apex feebly constricted; basal margin sinuate, produced beyond fore coxae posteriorly; side parallel, rounded; disc with large but shallow punctures, somehow reticular, those at sides piliferous; posterior end of fore intercoxal process not feebly dilated, retuse. Scutellum triangular. Elytron 4.5 X as long as broad; parallel; apex rounded; disc coarsely alveolate at basal half, acutely finer or punctulate on apical half but with fine piliferous punctures; seta rigid, stouter than the pubescence on metasternum. Legs : femora pedunculate at base, clavate and dilated on apical half, middle peduncle longer or as long as the clavated apex; mid and hind peduncle punctulate; clavated part glabrous, sparsely pubescent with scattered long bristles; first hind tarsal segment shorter than 2 + 3 united.

Measurement : Length 10.4 mm (); breadth 2.8 mm ()

Distribution : Sarawak; Sabah; Philippines

Known habitat : near village, secondary forest.

Material examined : 1 [142] Petra Jaya, Kuching Div., 21.II.1995, Hidir         Marzuki (UNIMAS Coll.).

Ceresium flavipes (FABRICIUS)

Cesium flavipes : Aurivillius., 1912, Col. Cat. 39 : 123 loc. cit. - Gressitt, 1950, Philip. J. Sci., 79 : 208. 1951a, Ann. Ent, Soc. Amer., 44 (1) : 12; 1951c, Longicornia 2, 155. - Samuelson & Gressitt, 1965, Pac. Ins., 7 (1) : 66. Duffy, 1968, Imm. Stages Or. T. Beetles, 144. - Hudepohl, 1990a, Entomofauna 11 (3/2) : 96, fig. 40.

Body brownish with greyish pubescence; head including eyes and thorax pitchy; palpi and entire antennae dark testaceous; antennal segment 1 - 6 ventrally fringed with tawny pubescence; elytra castaneous; meso- and metasternum. fuscous; abdominal segments testaceous; femora fulvous; tibiae dark testaceous.

Head drawn out, tapering towards apex of mandible; broadest at middle of lower eye lobe, as wide as prothorax, both narrower than elytra; mandible gradually curved, tip not decussate; suture between labrum and clypeus distinctive; the later impunctuate, pubescent and same plane with frons; frons minutely caelate, elevation glabrous, punctures with irregularly arranged bristles; two weak carinae between anternal insertion; posterior of occular margin with dense pubescence, discontinued at sides. Antenna longer than body, 1/4 longer in ; scape punctulate; segment 3 a little longer than scape; 4 shorter than scape; 5 - 7 subequal, as long as 3; 7 - 10 bluntly dentated ectoapically. Prothorax distinctively longer than broad; side rounded; pronotum with a wider median carina behind middle and two shorter one by the side; disc with coarse but shallow irregular punctures, intervening space glabrous; punctures piliferous, seta stouter, those in anterior reclinate, the posterior ones proclinate; side, prosternum and basal margin densely clothed with finer pubescence then those on disc; posterior end of fore intercoxal process strongly dilated. Scutellum linguiform, densely pubescent. Elytron 6 X as long as broad; tip rounded; disc coarsely and closely puncto-striate near base, merely punctate in the middle and punctulate on apical end; each puncture with a stout decumbent seta. Undersurfaces : intercoxal process of mesothorax elevated, posterior end notched, sinuate. Legs : femora fusiformclavate, punctulate and pubescent; ventral side of tarsal segments holosericeous.

Measurement : Length 14.7 - 16.1 mm (); breadth 3.3 - 3.4 mm ()

Distribution : Adaman Islands; Myanmar; Sri Lanka; China; Formosa; India; Thailand; Peninsular Malaysia; Java; Sumatra; Borneo (Sarawak); New Guinea; Nicobar Islands; Philippines; Japan. Mexico; East Indies; Madagascar; Ryuku Is.; Hong Kong; Sunda Islands; Mauritius; Australia; New Zealand; Solomon Islands; Tahiti.

Known habitat : secondary peat swamp forest; freshly cleared areas.

Host : Casuarina equisetifolia (India); Citrus (Formosa); Artocarpus (Tahiti); Cassia  fistula, Streblus asper (Indonesia); Hevea (Indo-China) (Duffy, 1968).

Note : the three specimens in UNIMAS Collection examined slightly varied in the coloration of tibiae from dark testaceous to fulvous, two specimens have a yellowish femora and darker brownish tibiae. One has the head not remarkably drawn out, making it more roundish shape. This species was synonymised under Ceresium unicolor by Gressitt (1959) with the type species Saperda unicolor FABRICIUS, 1787 but was maintained as flavipes in this study.

Material examined : 10 [388] Unimas campus, Samarahan Div., 27.IV.1995, C. K. Lim (UNIMAS Coll.); [391] Unimas campus, Samarahan Div., 15.III.1995, Meekiong Kalu (UNIMAS Coll.); [418] Sungai Luang, Mukah, Sibu Div., 30.IV.1995, Meekiong Kalu (UNIMAS Coll.); Santubong, Kuching Div., 4.VI.1910 (SM Coll.); Buntal, Kuching Div., IV.1903 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching div., VI.1900 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 22.I.1900 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 20.VII.1911 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., XII.1900 (SM Coll.); locality unknown, XI. 1898 (SM Coll.).

Ceresium furtivum PASCOE

Ceresium furtivum Pascoe, 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. ser 3, 3 : 538 (Sarawak; BMNH) - Duffy 1968, Imm. Stages Or. T. Beetles, 143. - Gressitt & Rondon, 1970, Pac. Ins. Monogr., 24 : 100, fig. 19e.

Entire castaneous with greyish pubescence; apical tip of femora fuscous; elytra amber; sparsely pubescent on head, prothorax and femora; mesosternum, metasternum and abdominal segments densely pubescent.

Head as long as prothorax, not very exserted; molar of mandible semicorneous; labrum punctulate; suture with two transverse glabrous carinae and a canaliculus; labrum same plane as clypeus and frons, almost horizontal with vertex; frons heavily punctate; anterior of gula punctured, area behind eye lobe glabrous; temple minutely puncto-striate. Antenna only slightly longer than body in  ; scape 2 X as long as segment 3, widen apically, coarsely punctured; 5 twice as long as 4; 6 - 9 subequal, as long as 5. Prothorax as long as wide; slightly narrower at apex and base; side rounded, convex; disc feebly depressed; closely punctate with wide but shallow piliferous punctures, seta soft; fewer punctures on sides; margin of intercoxal process not thickened, truncated. Scutellum semicircular, densely pubescent. Elytron short; 5 X as long as broad; gradually narrow; rounded at apex; disc moderately punctate, punctulate on 1/3 from apex; each puncture bearing a delicate seta and a darker brownish spot as if embeded under amber; spot diminishing in size towards apex. Undersurfaces very pubescent; intercoxal process of mesothorax not raised, posterior end notched at angle, slight convex, margin not thickened. Legs relatively short; femora fusiform-clavate, peduncalute at base; all peduncle less than half the clavated apical half, tip and peduncle of mid and hind femora punctate; clavated area pedunculate with sparse pubescence.

Measurement : Length 10.0 - 12.0 mm (); 12.0 - 13.0 mm ()
Breadth 2.5 - 3.0 mm (); 3.0 - 3.5 mm ()

Distribution : Laos; Thailand; Sarawak

Host : Mangifera indica (Thailand)

Note : very distinctive elytral structure, with many brownish dots embeded in     amber-liked texture of disc and each bearing a soft seta.

Material examined : 2 Kuching, Kuching Div., VI.1903 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 6.XI.1900 (SM Coll.); 3 [FN 80-0405] Teraja Camp, Baram, Miri Div., 25.III.1980, Mercer & Suhaiti (For. Dept. Coll.); Baram, Miri Div., 10.X.1910 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 26.IV.1900 (SM Coll.); 7 specimens, sex unseparated in For. Dept Coll. : [FN 80-0416] Teraja Camp, Baram, Miri Div., 26.III.1980, Mercer & Suhaili; [FN 80-0415] Teraja Camp, Baram, Miri Div., 26.III.1980, Mercer & Suhaili; [FN 79-0027] G. Santubong, Kuching Div., 22.V.1979, Mercer & Yeo; [FN 79-0460] Bako National Park, Kuching Div., 27.VIII.1979, Mercer; [FN 84-1582] Sematan, Kuching Div., 16.V.1984, F.R.O. Sarawak; [FN 79-0723] Oya road, Sibu Div., 22.X.1979, A. A. Hamid; [FN 79-0033] G. Santubong, Kuching Div., 24.V.1978, Mercer & Yeo.

Ceresium zeylanicum WHITE

Ceresium zeylanicum White, 1855, Cat. Col. Brit. Mus. 8 : 246 (Ceylon: BMNH) loc. cit. - Pascoe, 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 3, 3 : 538. - Gahan, 1906b, Fauna British India, Col. 1 : 158. - Duffy, 1968, Imm. Stages Or. T. Beetles, 143. - Fisher, 1935, J. Fed. Malay States Mus., 17 : 587. - Gressitt & Rondon, 1970, Pac. Ins. Monogr, 24 : 99, fig. 18I. - Hudepohl, 1990a, Entomofauna 11 (3/2): fig. 38.

Ceresium basilanum Picard, 1943, Opusc. Mart. 11 : 6 (Basilan I : Paris) loc. cit.

Head, prothorax, meso- and metasternum, first three abdominal segments, femora, fore and mid tibiae black; hind tibia castanous, black at base; thorax and undersurfaces with dense canescent pubescence; maxillary and labial palpi testaceous; antennal scape fuscous, remaining segments fusco-testaceous, ligther towards apex; scutellum lacteous; elytra castaneous, sparsely with short lacteous bristles, 2/3 of deflexed outer margin black, base tinged with black; elytral disc with brownish spots as if embeded in amber, finer towards apex.

Head with frons and vertex at angle; maxillary palp longer than mandible, terminal segment clavate-truncated; clypeus and frons coarsely punctate, suture obsolete; dorsal of antennifer glabrous, lower portion obsolete with intennal condyle touching ommatidia; vertex punctured and slightly reticulo­carinate, pubescence proclinate. Antenna 1/5 longer than body in ; finged beneath on segment 1 - 4, remainder covered with minute pubescence; scape as long as 2 + 3 united; 2 quadrate; 4 shorter than 3; 5 as long as scape; 6 – 11 gradually decreased in length. Prothorax distinctively longer than broad; side-subsinuate, base slightly narrower; entirely pubescent except anterior of side and an enlongated eydariform area on pronotum; disc with large shallow punctures, glabrous medianly; latero-anterior coarsely punctate, punctures not piliferous. Elytron 6 X as long as broad; apex rounded; brownish spots on disc not uniformly arranged, feebly puncture near base but graduately punctulate towards apex, piliferous. Undersurfaces : anterior of mesosternum gradually inclinate; strongly groove on longitudinal suture on metasternum, both sides convex. Legs : femora clavate and dilated laterally, pedunculate at base, glabrous and sparsely with soft bristles.

Measurement : Length 8.9 - 9.4 mm (); 18.0 mm ()
Breadth 2.1 - 2.4 mm (); 3.0 mm ()

Distribution : Sri Lanka; India (Assam, Maharashtra, West Bengal); Myanmar; Loas; Vietnam; Java; Sumatra; Borneo (Sarawak); Phillipines.

Known habitat : secondary forest.

Host : Careya arborea, Heritiera minor, Shorea robusta, Lagerstroemia parviflora (India), Bauhinia malabarica, Antidesma tetradrum (Java).

Note : both specimens in UNIMAS Collection have a less distinctive white pubescencs on prothorax.

Material examined : 2 [413] & [414] Ranchan Fall, Serian, Samarahan Div.; 25.V.1995, Wahap Marni (Unimas Coll.); 1 Matang road, Kuching Div., 17.I.1909 (SM Coll.).