Genus Aeolesthes Gahan

Aeolesthes Gahan, 1890, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser 6, 6 : 250 (type-species Hammaticherus aurifaber White, 1853) loc. cit. ; 1906b, Fauna British India, Col. 1 : 126. - Aurivillius, 1912, Coleopt. Cat., 39 : 46. - Gressitt, 1940, Philip, J. Sci., 72 (1-2) : 42 - 43. 1951c, Longicornia 2 : 137. - Gressitt & Rondon, 1970, Pac. Ins. Monogr, 24 : 60 – 61.

Pseudaeolesthes Plavilstshikov, 1931, Best.-Tab. Eur. Col., 100 : 73 (type-species : Neocerambyx chrysothrix Bates, 1873) loc. cit. Gressitt, 1951c, Longicornia 2 : 136.

Diagnostic characters two foveae in frons, somewhat circumscribe a slightly raised area; gula with a distinctive and deep transverse or acute groove; vertex with a carina passing from antennal insertion to a little before posterior of upper eye lobe, follow by a distinct deep pit or shallow oblong fovea; antennae 1.5 X as long as body in , barely longer than body in ; antennal segment 3 - 5 thicken apically; 6 - 8 feebly spined ectoapically, more distinctive and produced into sharp angle in ; prothorax unarmed, side acutely rounded as base; posterior of intercoxal process truncate, more or less vertical at apex; elytra densely pubescent with highly changeable patterns of fuscous and slivery oblong patches.

Note: Gressitt (1970) stated that it was difficult to distinguish the differences among some species of the genus Aeolesthes and Pseudaeolesthes based on the principle of tuberculated prothorax. Thus, the genus Pseudaeolesthes was reduced to subgeneric level. All the Sarawak species belong to the subgenus Aeolesthes.

Key to species of Aeolesthes in Sarawak

1.  Pubescence on pronotum even, no logitudinal glabrous stripes; pronotum transversly wrinkled including postmedian raised area ..............................2
Pronotum with 3 longitudinal glabrous stripes, one median, the outer two narrower in front; corrugation interrupted behind middle forming a feebly raised median area; gula with two transverse grooves - sticheri HUDEPOHL, 1989

2(1) Single groove on gula, deep, middle slightly curved towards anterior; anterior of frons feebly produced over to clypeus - aurifaber (WHITE, 1853)
Gula with 2 grooves, anterior one slightly pointed forward, the one behind transverse and wide; frons not produced over clypeus - mariae THOMSON, 1878

Aeolesthes (Aeolesthes) sticheri HUDEPOHL

Body pitchy brown with fulvo-aeneous pubescence; head including base of mandible, prothorax, elytra and undersurfaces including abdominal sterna thickly covered with dense brassy tawny pubescence; antennae entirely fuscous, holosericeous, pubescence tawny; pronotum with 3 shinny fuscous longitudinal stripes, median one behind middle, two at sides slightly narrower in front of middle; elytral evenly pubescent, chalceous, giving a balanced overlay of gloden brassy apperance, typical variable patches not very distinctive; coxae, femora, tibiae and tarsus fuscous, with dense tawny pubescence.

Head exserted, as long as prothorax; clypeus transverse, investitus; anterior of frons same plane as clypeus, not produced over the latter; frons with two deep foveae at sides, connected by a sulcus at posterior; raised area between foveae dented at middle; lower genal margin angulated and cusp abruptly bent in front; gula with two transverse grooves, anterior one straight and shallow, hind one sinuate; a median ridge flanked by two diverge carinae in between antennal insertion, the former extenuate a little behind antennifer; vertex bituberculate and vertical between posterior ocular margin; neck pubescent in front, glabrous and lunulate behind. Antenna slightly longer than body in , segment 10 reaching elytral apex; scape punctulate, dorsal surface impressed at base; segment 3 incrassate near apex, 1.5 X as long as scape; 4 distinctively shorter than 3, subequal to scape; 6 & 7 longest, twice as long as scape; 6 - 10 deplanate, dentate ectoapically. Prohtorax hardly longer than broad in , clearly narrower than elytra by the humeral angle; apex much constricted than base; side convex, latero-anterior with an obscure tubercle, setiferous; apex with an annular ridge and a transverse groove slightly behind; base with 2 sinuate groove; disc transversely corrugated; median raised area obscure, rugose, side marked by interruption of corrugation; 3 longitudinal stripes denudate and impunctulate. Elytron elongated, 6 X as long as broad; tapering, apex much narrower than base; obliquely truncate, angular cusp produced. Undersurfaces chalceous; intercoxal process of mesothorax tuberculated; anterior of mesosternum convex, posterior vertical, meeting point notched or somewhat grooved. Abdomen : first segment as long as the next three combined; last segment exposed. Legs : fore and middle femora fusiform; hind femora sublinear, not reaching apex of elytra. 

Measurement: Length 29.9 mm (); breadth 6.9 mm ()

Distribution: Sarawak; Sabah.

Known habitat: log pond, filled with all sort of debarked logs.

Note: differ from aurifaber in having 3 longitudinal glabrous fuscous stripes on pronotum and more regularly arranged pubescence on elytra that produced a brassy gloden apperance instead of the highly variable glistering patches.

Material examined : 1  [264] Sampling Log Pond, Tubau, Bintulu Div., 20.II.1995, C. L. Voon (UNIMAS Coll.).

Aeolesthes (Aeolesthes) aurifaber (WHITE)
Pl. 2g.

Aeolesthes aurifaber : Gahan, 1890, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser 6, 6 : 250 (loc. cit.) 1906b, Fauna British  India, Col. 1 : 126.

Aeolesthes (Aeolesthes) aurifaber : Gressitt & Rondon, 1970, Pac. Ins. Monogr., 24 : 65, fig. 12 i.

Body fuscous to black with argentate pubescence; gula and temple with tawny capilli; antennae fuscous with minute tawny pubescence, few apical segments castaneous; elytra densely clothed with yellowish-argentate pubescence, producing highly variable oblong longitudinal patches of different sizes; undersurfaces and entire leg including tarsus fuscous, pubescence golden­argentate.

Head longer than prothorax; mandible abruptly bent at apex; labrum and clypeus short, extended to less then basal half of mandible; the former sinuate and setose; frons oblique, anterior margin slightly produced over to clypeus, two deep foveae side of middle; gena strongly incised, lower margin much longer and extended to 1/3 of mandible; gula with a deep transverse groove between genal margin that slightly arched forward at middle; asperate between lower eye lobe, fine punctulate and coarse punctate, piliferous, crescentiform. elevation at posterior of ocular margin; antennifer depressed; two deep sulci and a median carina in between anternnal insertion; neck very long and exserted; latero-ventral of temple capillate or somewhat lanate. Antenna twice as long as body in ; scape transversely rugulose at base, ventral setose; 3 subequal to scape; 4 shorter than 3; 5 subequal to 3; 3 - 5 feebly thicken at apex; 6 - 11 strongly complanate; dorsal surface of segment 5 & 6 fossulate; last segment longest, 2 X as long as segment 10. Prothorax distinctively narrower than elytra; slightly broader than long; side rounded, unarmed; apex constricted with an annular ridge, narrower than base; disc entirely rugose; finely pubescent; anterior of prosternum transversely striate, rising posteriorly towards intercoxal process; the later truncate, dilated and vertical. Elytron 5 X as long as broad; gradually narrower towards apex; apex truncate with an angular tooth and long sutural spine; disc convex, pubescence arranged in different directions producing glistening mixture of slivery and fuscous patches. Undersurfaces entirely velutinous; mesosternum inclined. Legs subqual; femora compressed, linear,  striate-punctulate along whole length; tibiae dilated or explanate at apex.

Measurement : Length 61.0 mm (); breadth 16.3 mm ()

Distribution : Generally Oriental Region (Kashmir, Baluchistan and Turkestan in the west; New Guinea, Solomon Islands in the east); Peninsular Malaysia; Laos; Borneo (Sarawak).

Known habitat : Logged (selective logging) Hill Mixed Dipterocarp Forest.

Host : Bombax malbaricum DC (Gressitt & Rondon, 1970);

Note : this species has many synonym; Pascoe described most of this genus in the genus Neocerambyx.

Material examined : 1 [176] Rinki Camp, Sungai Seping, Kapit Div., 19.II.1995, C. K. Lim (UNIMAS Coll.).

Aeolesthes (Aeolesthes) mariae THOMSON

Aeolesthes mariae Thomson, 1878, Rev. Zool., 3 (4) : 2 (loc. cit.). - Gahan, Revis., 251 (loc. cit.). - Aurivillius, 1912, Coleopt. Cat., 39 ; 47.

Head and prothorax fuscous with dense tawny pubescence; clypeus shinny castaneous; labrum with dense golden bristles; antennae black at base, apical segments fuscous to fusco-castaneous; elytra intense fuscous with dense tawny pubescence, irregularly arranged so as to produced a golden glistering interchanging patterns according to angle of view; undersurfaces and legs entirely fuscous, pubescence similar color as elytra's.

Head exserted; labrum bilobe; clypeus glabrous, distinctive; frons oblique, with two foveae; median ridge between antennal insertion deplanate, side with 2 protuberance below antennifer; carinae between upper eye lobe not distinctive; behind the later a A-shaped sulcus instead of the usual deep pit; gula with a subsinuate groove followed by a transverse one; ventral of neck glabrous with few transverse rugula. Antenna 2 X as long as body in ; scape with cicatrix or rugose; segment 3 & 4 thicken apically; 3 distinctively longer than scape; 4 shorter than 3; 5 - 11 complanate especially apical segments; dorsal of 5 & 6 fossulate; 6 - 11 gradually lengthen. Prothorax as broad as long; side extended to humeral angle of elytra; disc transversely rugose, prosternum with 2 deep transverse groove; fore intercoxal process abrubtly bent and dilated at posterior, side of middle bituberculate and area between piliferous. Elytron 4.5 X as long as broad, parallel, gradually rounded at 1/4 from apex; tip truncate with a sutural and angular tooth. Legs subequal; fore and middle femora fusiform; hind femora linear; fore femora feebly fossulate and striate.

Measurement : Length 64 mm (); breadth 18 mm () 
Distribution : Sarawak.
Material examined : 1, Baram, Miri Div., VI.1910 (SM Coll.).