Chrysobothris sexsignata

(Say, 1839)

Six-marked Jewel Beetle

Chrysobothris sexsignata is a metallic wood-boring in the , commonly known as the Six-marked . It is found in North America, with confirmed records from Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island) and the United States. The is one of several Chrysobothris species that serve as for the crabronid Cerceris fumipennis.

Chrysobothris sexsignata by (c) Gordon C. Snelling, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Gordon C. Snelling. Used under a CC-BY license.

Chrysobothris sexsignata (49899222506) by Christina Butler from Georgia, United States. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Chrysobothris sexsignata: /ˌkrɪs.oʊˈbɒθ.rɪs ˌsɛk.sɪɡˈneɪ.tə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

The specific epithet "sexsignata" (six-marked) likely refers to distinctive markings on the , though detailed diagnostic characters distinguishing this from are not provided in available sources. As a member of the Chrysobothris femorata species-group, it shares the general body plan of -sized, somewhat flattened with metallic coloration typical of the .

Images

Distribution

North America. Confirmed records from Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island. Also present in the United States, including Missouri where it has been collected from Cerceris fumipennis colonies.

Seasonality

activity in Missouri coincides with the main activity period for most , from late May through late June.

Host Associations

Cerceris fumipennis - Collected as by this crabronid that hunts to provision its nests.

Similar Taxa

Chrysobothris femorata species-groupMembers of this group share similar body form and can be difficult to distinguish without examination of specific character suites including antennal structure, elytral , pygidial impressions, and elytral .

More Details

Biosurveillance significance

Chrysobothris sexsignata has been documented among collected through biosurveillance efforts using Cerceris fumipennis . This method has been employed to detect emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) and survey buprestid diversity.