Tragosoma pilosicornis is small as far as prionid longhorn beetles go. It's a substantial insect, however, by other criteria. This individual is about an inch long but like other bycids, when it extends its antennae, it seems much bigger. This one came bumbling in to my blacklight a week ago just below Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, California (at about 4,700 feet). The main trees in the vicinity were ponderosa pine and incense cedar.
This species is not nearly as common as T. depsarium which also occurs in California (and much of the West and across the Northern Hemisphere). It is also quite a bit less hairy than its more common relative and has very noticeable pitting on the anterior half of the wing covers.
This is the first time I've seen T. pilosicornis alive. The habitat shot is a morning view after Michael and I pulled ourselves out of our sleeping bags.
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