Forum Entomologi Italiani

Male and female specimens, were found in the same day, on Thymus sp. (altitude 600m a.s.l.) and on Onopordum sp. (altitude 100m a.s.l.) plants respectively.
Length 15 mm (male) and 23 mm (female).
One more female (much smaller in length) was found 1 year earlier (04/VIII/1991), in NW Greece.
Never seen again this genus in my life.

George

They do not look at all like the Eucnemidae I have met so far...

G.

Indeed, even in Winkler's catalog (1924-1932) they are considered as a separate family, under the name "Phylloceridae".
Although at the end of the book (Corrigenda et Delenda), it mentions the transfer of the genus Phyllocerus to the Melasidae (= Eucnemidae).

I just read again (somewhat hastily) some parts from J. Muona's wonderful work (Review of the phylogeny, classification and biology of the Eucnemidae family, 1993), based on morphological criteria.
There it seems that Phyllocerinae is a rather primitive branch, clearly separated from all the other groups of the family Eucnemidae.

G.

What a wonderful species! I have never seen it before

Great animal!
Never seen before, me too!