Knulliana

Knulliana is a genus of longhorn beetles. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Knulliana cincta, commonly known as the banded hickory borer.^[1] The species may be found throughout the eastern half of North America, including Mexico and the Bahamas, with one subspecies extending to the Sonoran Desert.^[2]

Knulliana cincta
Defense squeaks of the beetle.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Family:	Cerambycidae
Subfamily:	Cerambycinae
Tribe:	Bothriospilini
Genus:	Knulliana Linsley, 1962
Species:	K. cincta
Binomial name
Knulliana cincta (Drury, 1773)
Synonyms
Cerasphorus Dejean, 1835 Chion Newman, 1840

They are typically found on hickory and oak trees, where they lay eggs in crevices in the bark or directly into the wood. During their first season, the larvae feed beneath the bark, and later bore deeper into the wood. They sometimes cause significant damage to their host trees.^[3]

The banded hickory borer ranges in length from 15 to 35 mm. They have strong spines on the femora, pronotum, and on the tips of the elytra.^[3]

There are three described subspecies:^[4]

• Knulliana c. cincta (Drury) - eastern North America, Texas
• Knulliana cincta ochracea (Bates) - south-eastern United States, north-eastern Mexico, Bahamas
• Knulliana cincta sonorensis (Schaeffer) - Texas to Arizona, adjacent regions in Mexico