Checkered-beetles
Guides
Ababa
Ababa is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Thanerocleridae, established by Casey in 1897. These beetles belong to the order Coleoptera and are part of the diverse Cleroidea superfamily. The genus is currently accepted in taxonomic databases but has no documented observations on citizen science platforms.
Araeodontia
Araeodontia is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae. The genus contains five described species, all native to North America. It was established by Barr in 1952. Species in this genus are relatively poorly known compared to other clerid genera.
Aulicus
Aulicus is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, containing approximately 14 described species. These beetles are part of the diverse clerid fauna, a family known for predatory habits. The genus was established by Spinola in 1841. Specific biological details for most Aulicus species remain poorly documented in published literature.
Boschella
Boschella is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Barr in 1980. The genus contains a single described species, Boschella fasciata. Checkered beetles in this family are generally predatory or scavenging, though specific ecological details for this genus remain limited.
Chariessa
checkered beetles
Chariessa is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, containing approximately six to seven described species. These beetles are carnivorous predators typically associated with oak trees (Quercus), where they likely prey on wood-boring insects. The genus has a broad distribution spanning North, Central, and South America, with some species also occurring in the Palearctic region. Species such as Chariessa pilosa demonstrate this wide range, occurring across both North America and Eurasia.
Cleridae
checkered beetles
Cleridae, commonly known as checkered beetles, is a family of predatory beetles in the superfamily Cleroidea. The family contains approximately 3,500 species worldwide, with about 500 species in North America. Most species are predatory, feeding primarily on other beetles and their larvae, particularly bark beetles and wood-boring beetles. Some genera exhibit scavenging or pollen-feeding habits. The family has significant economic importance as biological control agents against forest pests.
Clerinae
Clerinae is a subfamily of checkered beetles (family Cleridae) comprising numerous genera distributed across tropical and temperate regions worldwide. The subfamily includes diverse species with varied ecological associations, including flower-visiting and predatory behaviors. Taxonomic revisions have substantially expanded recognized diversity, with many genera such as Neorthrius, Xenorthrius, Erymanthus, Eunatalis, Tillicera, and Enoclerus undergoing recent systematic study. Some lineages show strong biogeographic patterns linked to Gondwanan origins and Andean vicariance events.
Cregya
checkered beetles
Cregya is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, subfamily Peloniinae. The genus was established by LeConte in 1861 and contains over 100 described species, though only a small number are commonly referenced. Species occur in North America, including the eastern United States and Mexico. The genus includes notable species such as Cregya oculata and Cregya mixta.
Cymatodera
checkered beetles
Cymatodera is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, tribe Tillinae, comprising at least 70 described species distributed primarily in the Neotropics and Nearctic regions. Species within this genus exhibit considerable morphological diversity, with several new species described recently from Mexico, Central America, and South America. Members are typically found in association with woody vegetation and are attracted to ultraviolet light.
Cymatoderella
Cymatoderella is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Barr in 1962. The genus contains three described species: C. collaris, C. morula, and C. patagoniae. Members of this genus are part of the diverse clerid beetle fauna, a family known for predatory habits. Cymatoderella species have been recorded from the United States, including Vermont.
Enopliinae
Enopliinae is a subfamily of checkered beetles (family Cleridae) established by Gistel in 1848. The subfamily contains approximately 20 genera distributed across multiple continents. Some authorities consider Enopliinae a synonym of Korynetinae, reflecting ongoing taxonomic debate. Members of this subfamily are part of the diverse Cleridae radiation within the superfamily Cleroidea.
Ichnea
checkered beetles
Ichnea is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Laporte in 1838. The genus contains at least four described species distributed across North and South America. Ichnea belongs to the subfamily Korynetinae, a group of clerid beetles characterized by elongated body forms. The genus remains poorly studied, with limited ecological and behavioral data available.
Isohydnocera
Isohydnocera is a genus of checkered beetles (family Cleridae) established by E.A. Chapin in 1917. The genus comprises approximately 14 described species distributed primarily in North America. As members of Cleridae, these beetles are likely predatory or scavenging, though species-specific biology remains poorly documented.
Korynetinae
Korynetinae is a subfamily of checkered beetles (Cleridae) within the order Coleoptera. Members of this group are small to medium-sized beetles associated with predatory or scavenging habits. The subfamily is distinguished from other clerid subfamilies by specific morphological features of the antennae and body form. Korynetinae has been documented across multiple continents with greatest diversity in temperate and tropical regions.
Lebasiella
Lebasiella is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Spinola in 1844. The genus contains five described species distributed in the Neotropical region. Members of this genus share the general characteristics of Cleridae, including elongated bodies and often patterned elytra. The genus is relatively poorly studied compared to other clerid genera.
Lecontella
Lecontella is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Wolcott & Chapin in 1918. The genus contains at least four described species distributed in North America. Members of this genus are part of the diverse clerid beetle fauna, a family known for predatory habits and often striking color patterns.
Madoniella
Madoniella is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Maurice Pic in 1935. The genus comprises approximately 11 described species distributed primarily in North America, with most species described in the early 20th century and two additional species described by Opitz in 2010 and 2011. Species in this genus are part of the diverse Cleridae family, commonly known as checkered beetles due to their often striking color patterns. The genus name honors the Italian entomologist Pietro Magistretti, whose nickname was 'Madoni'.
Microlipus productus
Microlipus productus is a species of beetle in the genus Microlipus. The genus Microlipus is placed within the family Cleridae (checkered beetles), a group of predatory beetles commonly associated with other insects in wood-boring habitats. No specific information about the biology, distribution, or appearance of M. productus could be located in the provided source material. The source document is a detailed field report of a 2023 collecting trip across the southwestern United States, but this species is not mentioned in the narrative.
Monophylla
Spatulate Clerids
Monophylla is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, commonly known as spatulate clerids. The genus contains at least four described species distributed in North America. These beetles are part of the diverse Cleridae family, which are predominantly predatory beetles often associated with other insects in various habitats.
Neocallotillus
Calloused Clerids
Neocallotillus is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, subfamily Tillinae. It was erected in 2016 by Burke and Zolnerowich to accommodate species formerly placed in Callotillus. The genus is distinguished by specific morphological features of the pronotum and elytra. It occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Neorthopleura
Neorthopleura is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Barr in 1976. The genus comprises at least three described species distributed in North America. Species within this genus are part of the subfamily Korynetinae, a group of clerid beetles often associated with predatory habits.
Opilo
Opilo is a genus of checkered beetles (family Cleridae) in the subfamily Clerinae. Species within this genus are distributed across Europe, with records from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Italy. The taxonomy of the genus is complicated, with some species historically considered synonymous. At least one species, Opilo germanus, is extremely rare across its European range and poorly known biologically.
Orthopleurinae
Orthopleurinae is a subfamily of checkered beetles (family Cleridae) established by Böving and Craighead in 1931. It is currently treated as a synonym of Korynetinae in modern classifications. The group contains few documented observations, with only 8 records in iNaturalist. Its members belong to the superfamily Cleroidea within the diverse beetle suborder Polyphaga.
Pennasolis
Pennasolis is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Opitz in 2008. The genus contains at least three described species distributed in western North America, including California. These beetles belong to a family known for predatory habits and distinctive color patterns.
Perilypus
Perilypus is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Spinola in 1841. The genus is poorly documented in scientific literature, with limited species-level descriptions and biological data available. It belongs to a family of predatory beetles commonly associated with wood-boring insects and their galleries. The sparse iNaturalist records (17 observations) suggest it is rarely encountered or underreported.
Placopterus
checkered beetles
Placopterus is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Wolcott in 1910. The genus contains at least four described species found in North America. Members of this genus share the characteristic color patterns and body form typical of clerid beetles.
Tarsostenus
checkered beetles
Tarsostenus is a genus of small checkered beetles in the family Cleridae, established by Spinola in 1845. The genus comprises six described species distributed across Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Australia, with one species (T. univittatus) being cosmopolitan in distribution. Members are predators specializing on wood-boring beetles, particularly bostrichids and anobiines. The genus is characterized by distinctive morphological features including an oblong pronotum with glabrous streaks and elytra with ten rows of punctations.
Thaneroclerus
checkered beetles
Thaneroclerus is a genus of checkered beetles in the family Thanerocleridae, established by Lefebvre in 1838. The genus is part of the cleroid beetle superfamily Cleroidea. At least one European species, Thaneroclerus buquet, has been described. The family Thanerocleridae was historically treated as a subfamily within Cleridae but is now recognized as a distinct family.
Tillinae
checkered beetles (subfamily)
Tillinae is a subfamily of checkered beetles (family Cleridae) comprising approximately 164 described species across 11 genera in the New World. The subfamily is characterized by diagnostic morphological features including procryptosternum fused to pronotal extension, closed procoxal cavities, and 5-5-5 tarsal formula. Body size ranges from 3 to 40 mm. The genus Cymatodera dominates the subfamily with approximately 134 species, exhibiting its greatest diversity in Mexico.
Trichodes
checkered beetles
Trichodes is a genus of checkered beetles (family Cleridae) containing approximately 64 species, with 11 species occurring in North America. The genus includes some of the largest and most strikingly colored members of the family. Adults are frequently found on flowers where they feed on pollen and nectar, while larvae are specialized predators that develop within the nests of bees and wasps.