from China, is a serious invasive pest of ornamental

trees in many North American cities. The majority

of lamiines, however, inhabit the tropical forests of

the world, and are particularly species-rich in the

Asian wet tropics and in the Amazonian rainforests

of South America. Up to 100 new species are

discovered and named by scientists every year.

that of a scorpion. This is linked to a venom

gland, and the effect is said to be similar

to a bee sting. It is the only known example

of a stinging beetle

top | Acrocinus longimanus The striking

pattern of the giant (up to 75 mm)

Harlequin Beetle camouflages with lichen

and moss-encrusted bark of South and

Central American trees

above | Macrochenus guerinii First named from

specimens collected in what is now Bangladesh, this

striking diurnal lamiine is a familiar sight in forest

margins across much of India, China, and Indochina.