Checkered-beetle
Guides
Enoclerus quadrisignatus
White-belted Enoclerus
Enoclerus quadrisignatus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It occurs in Central America and North America. The common name "White-belted Enoclerus" refers to a distinctive pale band across the elytra. Like other members of the genus, it is likely associated with dead wood habitats where it preys on other insects.
Enoclerus schaefferi
Enoclerus schaefferi is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, described by Barr in 1947. The species is known from western North America, with records from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. Like other members of the genus Enoclerus, it is likely associated with dead wood habitats where it preys on other insects, though specific details about this species remain poorly documented.
Enoclerus sphegeus
Red-bellied Clerid
Enoclerus sphegeus, commonly known as the red-bellied clerid, is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is found in Central America and North America, including Alberta, Canada. The species is a significant predator of bark beetles, particularly the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and Ips species. Larval development is variable, with individuals completing either two or three stadia depending on prey size consumed during the first stadium. The species pupates underground.
Enoclerus spinolae
Handsome Yucca Beetle
A checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, Enoclerus spinolae is broadly distributed across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The species was originally described by LeConte in 1853, later synonymized, and subsequently resurrected as a valid species. It is one of several Enoclerus species associated with yucca plants, where adults have been observed feeding on flowers.
Enoclerus vetus
Orange Tamaulipan Enoclerus
Enoclerus vetus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It occurs in North America. Like other members of the genus Enoclerus, it is likely associated with dead wood habitats where it preys on other beetles, particularly woodboring species. The specific epithet "vetus" (Latin for "old") was given by Wolcott in 1927. The species is known from relatively few observations.
Enoclerus viduus
Enoclerus viduus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, distributed across Central America and North America. The genus Enoclerus is the largest genus within Cleridae, comprising predatory beetles often associated with wood-boring insects. This species was described by Klug in 1842. Available records are limited, with 26 observations documented on iNaturalist.
Ichnea elongata
checkered beetle
Ichnea elongata is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, first described by Knull in 1939. It is found in North America. As a member of Cleridae, it belongs to a family commonly known as checkered beetles, many of which are predatory on other insects.
Isohydnocera brunnea
Isohydnocera brunnea is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. The species is endemic to North America. It was described by Chapin in 1917.
Isohydnocera pusilla
Isohydnocera pusilla is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is a small-bodied member of the genus Isohydnocera, which belongs to the tribe Hydnocerini. The species was described by Schaeffer in 1909 and is known from North America. Members of this genus are predatory beetles associated with wood-boring insects.
Isohydnocera tabida
checkered beetle
Isohydnocera tabida is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is native to North America, with confirmed records from Canada (Manitoba, Ontario, Québec) and the United States. As a member of the Cleridae, it likely functions as a predator of other insects, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented. The species was first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1849.
Lebasiella pallipes
checkered beetle
Lebasiella pallipes is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It was described by Klug in 1842. The species is found in Central America and North America. Very little specific information is available about its biology, ecology, or behavior.
Loedelia discoidea
checkered beetle
Loedelia discoidea is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, described by LeConte in 1881. It is known from North America. The genus Loedelia belongs to a family of predatory beetles commonly referred to as checkered beetles due to their often striking color patterns.
Loedelia maculicollis
Loedelia maculicollis is a checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, distributed across Central America and North America. The species was described by LeConte in 1874. As a member of Cleridae, it likely functions as a predator or scavenger in its ecosystem, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Madoniella chiricahua
Madoniella chiricahua is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is known from the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, a region characterized by high biodiversity and endemism within the Madrean Sky Islands. The species has been documented from a single observation, indicating it is likely rare or poorly sampled. Its specific epithet refers to the Chiricahua Mountains, the type locality.
Madoniella rectangularis
Madoniella rectangularis is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. The species is known from limited observations, with only one documented record on iNaturalist. Members of the genus Madoniella are primarily found in Madagascar. As with other clerid beetles, it likely shares the family's characteristic elongated body form and predatory habits, though specific details for this species remain undocumented.
Monophylla californica
Monophylla californica is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. The species was described by Fall in 1901. It occurs in Central America and North America. As a member of the Cleridae family, it belongs to a group commonly known as checkered beetles, which are primarily predatory.
Monophylla pallipes
Monophylla pallipes is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, first described by Schaeffer in 1908. The species is distributed across Central America and North America. As a member of the Cleridae family, it belongs to a group commonly known as checkered beetles, which are typically predatory. Specific ecological details about this species remain limited in available sources.
Monophylla terminata
checkered beetle
Monophylla terminata is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It has a notably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents, having been recorded from Australia, Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), Central America, and North America. The species was first described by Thomas Say in 1835. As a member of Cleridae, it belongs to a family commonly known as checkered beetles, many of which are predatory on other insects.
Neocallotillus elegans
Elegant Calloused Clerid
Neocallotillus elegans is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, originally described as Tillus elegans by Erichson in 1847. The species was transferred to the newly erected genus Neocallotillus in 2016 following a taxonomic revision that split the genus Callotillus into two genera based on morphological characters. It occurs across the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Neorthopleura texana
Texas Brick-and-Brown Clerid
Neorthopleura texana is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is found in Central America and North America, with over 300 observations documented on iNaturalist. The species was first described by Bland in 1863.
Opilo domesticus
Opilo domesticus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It has a broad geographic distribution spanning Africa, Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), Central America, and North America. The species was originally described as Notoxus domesticus by Sturm in 1837. Its biology and ecology remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.
Opilo mollis
Opilo mollis is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, subfamily Clerinae. The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Attelabus mollis. It has a broad distribution across Europe, North America, and Southern Asia, with records from the Azores (São Miguel) documented in GBIF. As a member of the genus Opilo, it likely shares the predatory habits characteristic of clerid beetles, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in available sources.
Paratillus
Paratillus is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Gorham in 1876. The genus is monotypic, containing a single described species: P. carus. As a member of Cleridae, it belongs to a family of predatory beetles commonly associated with other insects. The genus appears to be rarely encountered, with limited documentation beyond taxonomic description.
Paratillus carus
Paratillus carus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, originally described by Newman in 1840. The species is currently considered a synonym of Tarsostenus carus in some taxonomic databases, reflecting ongoing taxonomic revision within this group. It belongs to a family of predatory beetles commonly associated with other insects in various habitats.
Pelonides
Pelonides is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Kuwert in 1894. The genus comprises approximately six to seven described species distributed in North America. Members of this genus are small beetles typically found on flowers, particularly milkweeds (Asclepias species), where they have been documented feeding on pollen and nectar alongside other flower-visiting beetles.
Pelonides quadrinotata
checkered beetle
Pelonides quadrinotata is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, one of six recognized species in the genus Pelonides. The genus is hypothesized to have originated on the Mexican/Mayan block with its sister group being Parapelonides. Species in this genus are presumed to be predators.
Pelonium peninsulare
Pelonium peninsulare is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. The specific epithet 'peninsulare' suggests an association with a peninsula, likely referring to Baja California or another peninsular region in western North America. The genus Pelonium contains species typically associated with woody habitats where they prey on other insects.
Pennasolis merkeli
checkered beetle
Pennasolis merkeli is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, first described by Horn in 1896. It is found in North America. The species belongs to a family commonly known as checkered beetles, many of which are predatory and associated with wood-boring insects. Specific ecological details about this species remain poorly documented.
Phyllobaenus arizonicus
Phyllobaenus arizonicus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, first described by Schaeffer in 1908. The specific epithet indicates its association with Arizona. As a member of the Cleridae, it belongs to a family commonly known as checkered beetles, many of which are predatory and associated with other insects.
Phyllobaenus caeruleipennis
Phyllobaenus caeruleipennis is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. The species name refers to its blue-winged appearance. Like other members of the genus Phyllobaenus, it is likely associated with fungal habitats and woodland environments where it preys on small arthropods. The species has been documented in the northeastern United States.
Phyllobaenus humeralis
Red-shouldered Clerid
Phyllobaenus humeralis is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, first described by Thomas Say in 1823. It is distributed across North America, with records from the United States and Canada including Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba. The common name 'Red-shouldered Clerid' refers to distinctive coloration on the humeral region. As with other members of Cleridae, it is likely a predator, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Phyllobaenus longus
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus longus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It was described by LeConte in 1884. The species is known from North America. As a member of the Cleridae family, it belongs to a group commonly known as checkered beetles, many of which are predatory or feed on other insects.
Phyllobaenus maritimus
Leconte's Checkered Beetle
Phyllobaenus maritimus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. Described by Wolcott in 1910, this species is known from North America. As a member of the genus Phyllobaenus, it belongs to a group of small to medium-sized clerid beetles often associated with wood-boring insects and their habitats.
Phyllobaenus obscurus
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus obscurus is a checkered beetle (family Cleridae) notable as the first documented case of a beetle acting as a parasitoid of ants. Larvae develop inside intact cocoons of two species in the Ectatomma ruidum species complex, feeding on ant prepupae or pupae and eventually killing the host. This parasitoid lifestyle represents a significant departure from typical clerid ecology, which centers on predation of wood-boring beetles. The species has been documented in Pacific coastal plains of Oaxaca, Mexico, where prevalence of parasitism is extremely low (<0.6% of available cocoons).
Phyllobaenus plagifer
Phyllobaenus plagifer is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, described by Fall in 1906. Checkered beetles in this genus are generally small to medium-sized with distinctive color patterns. Members of the genus Phyllobaenus are often associated with dead or dying wood and are predatory or scavengers in their feeding habits. The species is documented from North America.
Phyllobaenus pubescens
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus pubescens is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, a family commonly known for their patterned coloration and predatory habits. The species was described by LeConte in 1849 and is found in North America. Members of the genus Phyllobaenus are generally small beetles, though specific details about this species' biology remain limited in published sources.
Phyllobaenus robustus
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus robustus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is native to North America. Members of the genus Phyllobaenus are typically small to medium-sized beetles with distinctive color patterns.
Phyllobaenus rufipes
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus rufipes is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It was described by Newman in 1840. The species is known to occur in North America, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Phyllobaenus scaber
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus scaber is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It has been recorded in North America, including British Columbia, Canada. The species was described by LeConte in 1852. Like other members of Cleridae, it belongs to a family commonly known as checkered beetles, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited.
Phyllobaenus subfasciatus
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus subfasciatus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It occurs across North America with documented records from western Canadian provinces. The species belongs to a genus whose members are generally predatory or scavenging as larvae and adults.
Phyllobaenus tricolor
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus tricolor is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, first described by Schaeffer in 1904. It is native to North America. As a member of the Cleridae family, it belongs to a group of beetles commonly known as checkered beetles, which are typically predatory or feed on other insects.
Phyllobaenus unifasciatus
checkered beetle
Phyllobaenus unifasciatus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. The species is distributed across North America, with confirmed records in the United States and Canada including Ontario and Quebec.
Phyllobaenus verticalis
Vertical-lined Phyllobaenus
Phyllobaenus verticalis is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It occurs in North America, with records from Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario) and the United States. Larvae develop within dead hardwood, where they prey upon wood-boring beetles. The species is part of a diverse genus of predatory beetles commonly associated with woody habitats.
Placopterus thoracicus
Black and Red Checkered Beetle
Placopterus thoracicus is a checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, commonly known as the Black and Red Checkered Beetle. It is distributed across Central America and North America, with records extending as far north as Manitoba, Canada. As a member of Cleridae, it belongs to a family of beetles often associated with predatory habits on other insects.
Priocera castanea
Chestnut-colored Clerid
Priocera castanea is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It occurs in North America, with records from Ontario, Canada, and Vermont, United States. The species is commonly known as the Chestnut-colored Clerid. As a member of Cleridae, it belongs to a family whose larvae are typically predatory on other insects, particularly those found in wood-boring beetle galleries.
Priocera chiricahuae
checkered beetle
Priocera chiricahuae is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, first described by Knull in 1939. The specific epithet refers to the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, suggesting this region as part of its native range. As a member of Cleridae, it likely functions as a predator of other insects, though specific biological details remain poorly documented. The species is recorded from North America with confirmed observations in the southwestern United States.
Pyticeroides laticornis
broad-horned clerid
Pyticeroides laticornis, commonly known as the broad-horned clerid, is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. The species was described by Thomas Say in 1835. It is native to North America and has been documented in Canada (Ontario) and the United States. The common name refers to its notably broad antennae.
Thanasimus dubius
dubious checkered beetle, American bark beetle destroyer, checkered beetle predator, Wavering Checkered Beetle
Thanasimus dubius is a predatory checkered beetle (Cleridae) native to North and Central America. It specializes in preying upon bark beetles, particularly species in the genera Ips and Dendroctonus, with the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) being a well-documented prey item. Adults exhibit a stereotyped five-act predatory sequence involving search/ambush, seizure, alignment, consumption, and grooming. The species demonstrates chemotactic responses to bark beetle pheromones and tree volatiles, and shows regional genetic differentiation across its eastern North American range. It has been investigated as a potential biological control agent for forest pest management.
Thanasimus trifasciatus
three-banded checkered beetle
Thanasimus trifasciatus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is found in North America, with records from Canada (Ontario and Québec) and the United States. The genus Thanasimus comprises predatory beetles commonly associated with bark beetles and other wood-boring insects. As a member of this genus, T. trifasciatus likely shares the general ecological habits of its congeners, though specific studies on this species are limited.
Thaneroclerus buquet
Thaneroclerus buquet is a species of checkered beetle in the family Thanerocleridae. The species has a notably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents including Europe, Northern Asia, North America, Oceania, and Southern Asia. It was originally described as Clerus buquet by Lefebvre in 1835 before being transferred to the genus Thaneroclerus.