Known from Madagascar; available records indicate a Malagasy distribution.
Fine-art photographic collection
Arrhythmus rugosipennis
A large Madagascan longhorn whose deeply wrinkled wing cases resemble a slab of fractured bark.
About this species
Arrhythmus rugosipennisFairmaire, 1896
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Arrhythmus rugosipennis is a Madagascan longhorn beetle recognised by its unusually coarse, deeply sculptured wing cases. The ridges, pits and mottled relief create a bark-like surface rather than a smooth shell, while documented males can reach about 30 mm in length.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Coleoptera · Cerambycidae · Arrhythmus
Accepted species or infraspecific taxon in the current GBIF/Catalogue of Life treatment; unsupported details have been omitted rather than inferred. · checked 2026-07-15
MadagascarBroad documented range and selected occurrence localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Woodland or woody vegetation within the documented range; larval habitat depends on the host plant.
Adults are seasonal; timing varies with climate and locality.
Longhorn beetle larvae develop in woody plant tissue; the exact host range for this species should be taken from specialist literature.
Solitary.
What makes this species remarkable?
Its wing cases are carved with deep wrinkles and pits, turning the back into a three-dimensional surface that resembles weathered bark rather than polished beetle armour.
The raised and recessed areas catch light differently, so the camouflage changes as the viewing angle changes instead of depending on a flat printed pattern.
A documented male from south of Antananarivo measured about 30 millimetres, making this a substantial longhorn rather than a tiny bark mimic.