Acmaeodera maculifera
Horn, 1894
Acmaeodera maculifera is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the Buprestidae. The was described by Horn in 1894 and is distributed across Central America and North America. have been documented as prey for the sphecid Cerceris californica. The species is one of approximately 119 species in the Acmaeodera recorded from Mexico and surrounding regions.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Acmaeodera maculifera: //ˌækmɪoʊˈdɛrə ˌmækjʊˈlɪfərə//
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Distribution
Central America and North America; present in the Nearctic and Neotropic biogeographic realms. Specifically documented from Oaxaca in southern Mexico and more broadly across Middle America and North America.
Ecological Role
Prey item for the sphecid Cerceris californica Cresson (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). This relationship was documented in field observations.
More Details
Taxonomic notes
The was described by George Henry Horn in 1894. It belongs to the Acmaeodera, which was established by Eschscholtz in 1829. A 2010 taxonomic revision transferred the genus Squamodera Nelson, 1996 to Acmaeodera as a subgenus, though A. maculifera is not among the species affected by this transfer.
Predation record
The only specific biological interaction documented for this in the available literature is by Cerceris californica, a sphecid . This wasp species is known to capture and paralyze beetles to provision nests for its larvae.