Philematium

Subfamily

Cerambycinae

Diagnosis - adult

Body length: 22–26 mm. 
Eyes: eye interommatidial setaeseta:
a sclerotized hair-like projection of the cuticle
absent, eye deeply emarginateemarginate:
notched at the margin
> half width, eye ommatidial density fine. 
AntennaeAntenna:
in larval and adult insects, paired segmented appendages, borne one on each side of the head, functioning as sense organs and bearing a large number of sensilla
: antennal length reaches between basebase:
the part of any appendage or structure that is nearest the body
and end of elytraelytron:
the leathery forewing of beetles, serving as a covering for the hind wings, commonly meeting opposite elytron in a straight line down the middle of the dorsum in repose
or reaching/surpassing end of body, antennal flagellar segments elongateelongate:
much longer than wide
, scapescape:
the first proximal segment of the antenna
smooth/punctate at apexapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
, antennal segment 3 > scapescape:
the first proximal segment of the antenna
. 
Pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
: pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
shape transversetransverse:
broader than long
, pronotumpronotum:
the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax
lateral armature acute spinespine:
a protuberance with an acute (sharp) distal end
. 
Prosternum: prosternal process dilated at apexapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
, procoxal cavities closed posteriorly. 
ElytraElytron:
the leathery forewing of beetles, serving as a covering for the hind wings, commonly meeting opposite elytron in a straight line down the middle of the dorsum in repose
: elytral length reaching or close to end of abdomen, elytral apicesapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
rounded or truncatetruncate:
cut off squarely at the tip
, elytral color black, brown, or metallic, elytral color pattern absent. 
Legs: visible tarsomerestarsomere:
subdivision or article of the tarsus, usually numbering from two to five
: 4, femora clavateclavate:
thickening gradually toward the tip
or slender, protibial spurs: 2, tarsal clawstarsal claw:
usually paired claws of the pretarsus, at the distal end of the leg
simple.

Similar genera

Callichroma

Differential diagnosis

Close to Callichroma but all femora are sinuate at the apexapex:
end of any structure distad to the base
with an obvious protrusion (Callichroma has flattened metafemorametafemur:
 hind femur
) and the prosternal process is convex or has a tubercletubercle:
a small knoblike or rounded protuberance
(Callichroma sometimes has a tubercletubercle:
a small knoblike or rounded protuberance
).

Distribution

Afrotropical, introduced in Nearctic (Guadeloupe Is.)

Recorded host plants

broadleaf trees

Remarks

14 species. P. virens is a top British invader.

Synonyms

Synaptola (Nimbacumaltera) Lepesme, 1952

Taxonomy

Philematium Thomson, 1864Thomson, 1864:
Thomson J. 1864–65. Systema cerambycidarum ou exposé de tous les genres compris dans la famille des célrambycides et familles limitrophes. H. Dessain, Liége, 578 pp. [1864: pp. 1–352; 1865: 353–578; Also published in Mémoires de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liége 19 [1866]: 1–578].