Genus Neocerambyx Thomson

Neocerambyx Thomson, 1860, Classif. Ceramb., 194 (type-species : Cerambyx paris Wiedemann, 1821) loc. cit. - Pascoe, 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 3, 3 : 509. - Gahan, 1906b, Fauna British India. Col.1 : 124. - Hudepohl, 1990, Entomofauna  11 (14) : 248 - 256.

Diagnostic characters : frons subvertical; head deeply grooved between upper eye lobe; antennae longer than body in male, shorter in female; antennal segment 4 half as long as 3, 5 - 10 slightly angulate at apex and compressed dorsi-ventrally; prothorax transverse, constricted at apex and base, each with a transverse groove; pronotum with a median smooth flat surface, remaining area intricate; fore coxal cavity angulate externally; elytra convex, rounded at apex; generally large beetles. Distinctively different with its close ally, Massicus, in the rounded elytra and median flat pronotal surface.

Note : Three specimens from one species were available for examination. They belong to the subspecies of Neocerambyx luzonicus HUDEPOHL, 1987. Neocerambyx luzonicus was formerly placed as subspecies of N. paris (WIEDEMANN, 1821) but was subsequently given the new species status by the same author. Below are keys adapated from Hudepohl (1990) to differentiate N. paris, N. luzonicus and the subspecies N. luzonicus pseudoparis

1.    Sides of pronotum without median and with indistinct preapical tubercle; antennae 2 X as long as body in , reaching 4/5 of elytra from base in ; elytra short; antennae of male with conspicous red, short, erected pubescence - paris (WIEDEMANN,1821)
Sides of pronotum with blunt median and distinctly prominent preapical tubercle; antennae 1.5 X as long as body in , reaching only 2/3 of elytra from base in ; elytra elongated, 2.3 - 2.6 X as long as wide together; antennae of male not conspicously pubescent .........................................2

2(1) Distribution within the Philippines - luzonicus HUDEPOHL, 1987
Distribution covers Malaysia and Sumatra - luzonicus pseudoparis HUDEPOHL, 1990

Neocerambyx luzonicus pseudoparis HUDEPOHL

Diagnostic characters : head with a single groove between upper eye lobe; antennae support depressed in front, each with a sulcus on the posterior margin; antennae 1.5 X longer than body in , reaching 2/3 af elytra from base in ; 3 - 5 antennal segment not very swollen at apex; lateral side of prothorax with a distinct blunt preapical tubercle; elytron 5 X as long as broad, cover with interchangable patterns of silky pubescences.

Body fusco-piceous; head, antennae, thorax, elytra and undersurfaces evenly covered with fine tawny pubescence; gula with dense tawny bristles;  pubescence on elytra irregularly arranged producing numerous small testaceous patches; undersurfaces and legs of castaneous.

Head with a short deep groove between eye; frons subvertical, elliptical impression is well marked on the side and slightly hollowed out; antennae insertions depressed and elevated above vertex, leaving two deep sulci at base of inner antennifer; gula with long caespitose bristles and an aduncate groove, punctulate in middle and coarsely punctate at sides. Antenna 1.5 X longer than body in , barely reaching 2/3 of elytra from base in ; scape robust, twice in diameter than segment 2, closely punctulate with faint rugulose; 3 & 4 ,slightly swollen at apex; 3 much longer than scape; 4 & 5 distinctively shorter than 3; 5 - 10 in subequal or slightly increase in length, 11 twice as long as 10; 5 - 10 in diminishing in length, 11 as long as 10. Prothorax as wide as humeral angle on elytra; quadrate, side subconcave, with a distinctive preapical lateral tubercle; apex with a weakly defined subtransverse groove; pronotum with a pentagon-shaped flat surface extended from the sinuate groove ast base, remaining surface intricate with irregular-shaped elevated areas. Elytron relatively large and elongated, 2.5 X as long as broad; convex; side parallel, narrow at 3/5 from base, rounded at apex; armed with a small sutural spine. Undersurface : first abdominal segment as long as the remaining three united. Legs : compressed laterally; femora sublinear, hind pair not extending beyond elytra in both sexes.

Measurement : Length 56.4 mm () ; 63.2 - 71.0 mm ()
  Breadth 16.3 mm (); 19.2 - 20.5 min () 

Distribution : Sarawak; Peninsular Malaysia; Sumatra.

Known habitat : secondary peat swamp forest;

Note : Very similar to paris (Wiedemann) except differ in the characters pointed put above. This raised the possibility that many specimens from Malaya identified as paris (Wiedemann) prior to 1990 might be in fact luzonicus pseudoparis Hudepohl. This subspecies also differs from aeneas (Thomson) and aurifaber (White) by having only single groove between eye and absence of tridentiform depression above the eye.

Material examined : 1 [390], Unimas campus, Samarahan Div., 30.III.1995, Azman. (UNIMAS Coll.); 2 [013], Unimas campus, Samarahan Div., 11.VII.1994, C. K. Lim (UNIMAS Coll.); [B1], UPM campus, Bintulu Div., date and collector unknown. (UNIMAS Coll.).