Icosium tomentosum is a circummediterranean species represented by two distinct subspecies: tomentosum Lucas, 1854 and atticum Ganglbauer, 1881. Atticum is mainly an East Mediterranean subspecies occurring in Turkey, Balcan Peninsula and reaching South France in the West. Both subspecies develop in various Cupressaceae (Juniperus, Cupressus, Thuja, Callitrix, Tetraclinis, etc.). Larvae first feed under bark and later enter the wood of recently dead or moribund hosts. The adults are nocturnal and frequently come to light.
These particular beetles were reared from larvae collected near Neo Ithilo (SW of Peloponnese, Greece), in trunks and branches of dying Cupressus sempervirens. Collected by M.Hoskovec.
MH & MR © April 25, 2006
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