Flower-visiting-beetle
Guides
Acmaeodera aurora
Acmaeodera aurora is a species of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Fall in 1922. Like other members of this large North American genus, it belongs to a group of small beetles that are often associated with flowers as adults. The genus Acmaeodera contains over 150 species in North America and is in need of taxonomic revision, with new species continuing to be described from the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Acmaeodera diffusa
Acmaeodera diffusa is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Barr in 1969. The species is known from western North America, with records from Utah and surrounding regions. Adults are flower visitors, frequently collected from blooms of pricklypear cacti (Opuntia), globemallow (Sphaeralcea), and other desert forbs. Like other Acmaeodera species, larvae likely develop in dead or dying woody plants, though specific host associations remain incompletely documented.
Acmaeodera recticolloides
Acmaeodera recticolloides is a species of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Richard L. Westcott in 1971. It belongs to the large genus Acmaeodera, which contains over 150 species in North America. The species is placed in the nominate subgenus Acmaeodera (s. str.) within the subtribe Acmaeoderina. Like other members of this genus, it is likely associated with flowers as an adult, though specific biological details remain poorly documented. The species is considered rare in collections, with limited occurrence records.
Acmaeodera retifera
Acmaeodera retifera is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by LeConte in 1859. It belongs to the large genus Acmaeodera, which contains over 150 species in North America and is particularly diverse in the desert southwest and Mexico. Like other members of this genus, adults are flower visitors, though specific details about this species' biology remain poorly documented. The species occurs in the Nearctic region.
Acmaeodera sinuata sinuata
Acmaeodera sinuata sinuata is a subspecies of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, a group of metallic wood-boring beetles commonly known as jewel beetles. The genus Acmaeodera is highly diverse in North America, with over 140 species and subspecies. Members of this genus are typically small to medium-sized beetles that frequent flowers for pollen feeding. This subspecies occurs in the Nearctic region of North America.
Acmaeodera sphaeralceae
Acmaeodera sphaeralceae is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Barr in 1972. Like other members of this large North American genus, it is associated with flowers and woody vegetation. The specific epithet suggests a relationship with plants in the genus Sphaeralcea (globemallows, family Malvaceae), which serve as larval hosts for related species in the genus.
Acmaeodera tildenorum
Acmaeodera tildenorum is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Nelson & Westcott in 1995. It belongs to the large and taxonomically challenging genus Acmaeodera, which contains over 150 species in North America. The species is found in Central America and North America, though specific biological details remain poorly documented. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to exhibit typical Acmaeodera characteristics including flower-visiting behavior by adults and larval development in woody plants.
Agrilus hespenheidei
Henry's Agrilus
Agrilus hespenheidei is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It occurs in North America. The species was described in 1991 and is named in honor of entomologist Henry Hespenheide. Field observations indicate adults are associated with flowers of Bouvardia ternifolia (firecrackerbush).
Agrilus malvastri
Agrilus malvastri is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Fisher in 1928. It is one of the few North American Agrilus species documented as routinely visiting flowers, specifically those of Sphaeralcea (globemallows). The species occurs in Central America and North America, with records from the southwestern United States including New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. Unlike most Agrilus species, which are associated with woody plants, A. malvastri appears to be associated with herbaceous plants in the family Malvaceae.
Chauliognathus discus
soldier beetle
Chauliognathus discus is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae, found in North America. Like other members of its genus, it is a diurnal beetle often associated with flowers. The species belongs to a group commonly referred to as soldier beetles or leatherwings, recognized for their soft, flexible elytra. Specific ecological details for this species are limited in available sources.
Crossidius discoideus
Orange-bracketed Longhorned Beetle
Crossidius discoideus is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Thomas Say in 1824. Adults are notable for their striking orange-and-black coloration, which closely mimics that of toxic soldier beetles (Chauliognathus spp.) and blister beetles (Epicauta spp.) through Batesian mimicry. The species is strongly associated with flowers of Gutierrezia sarothrae (broom snakeweed), where adults feed on pollen and nectar. Larvae develop in the root crowns of broom snakeweed and related Isocoma species (Jimmyweed).
Crossidius discoideus blandi
Crossidius discoideus blandi is a subspecies of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae. Adults exhibit Batesian mimicry, resembling toxic soldier beetles (Chauliognathus spp.) and blister beetles (Epicauta spp.) with their black and orange coloration. The species is associated with flowers of Gutierrezia sarothrae (broom snakeweed), where adults feed on pollen and nectar. Larvae bore in the root crowns of the host plant. This subspecies is part of a broader mimicry complex involving multiple beetle families in western North American habitats.
Crossidius humeralis
Crossidius humeralis is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1858. It belongs to a diverse, exclusively western North American genus whose members are intimately associated with flowering shrubs in the Asteraceae family. Like other Crossidius species, adults are diurnal and strongly tied to their host plants for feeding and reproduction.
Crossidius suturalis intermedius
Crossidius suturalis intermedius is a subspecies of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by LeConte in 1873. It belongs to the highly variable species C. suturalis, which occurs across southwestern North America. The subspecies has been collected in association with flowers of Isocoma tenuisecta (burroweed), a composite plant in the Asteraceae family. Field observations indicate it is found in arid and semi-arid habitats of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico, with adults active during late summer and early autumn when host plants bloom.
Etorofus plebejus
Etorofus plebejus is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, subfamily Lepturinae. It was described by Randall in 1838. The species belongs to the tribe Lepturini, which includes flower-visiting longhorn beetles often characterized by their elongated bodies and relatively soft elytra compared to other cerambycids.
Mannophorus
Mannophorus is a genus of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) in the tribe Trachyderini, established by LeConte in 1854. The genus contains at least two recognized species: Mannophorus forreri (Bates, 1885) and Mannophorus laetus (LeConte, 1854). Members of this genus are rarely encountered in the field. Mannophorus forreri has been documented from Arizona, where it was found on flowers of Gutierrezia microcephala and Heterotheca fulcrata.
Muscidora tumacacorii
Muscidora tumacacorii is a longhorn beetle species in the family Cerambycidae, first described by Knull in 1944. It belongs to the tribe Trachyderini, a group of flower-visiting cerambycids often associated with Asteraceae host plants. The species epithet references the Tumacacori region of southern Arizona, suggesting a southwestern U.S. distribution. Available records indicate it is rarely encountered, with minimal observational data documenting its biology and ecology.
Nemognatha nigripennis
Nemognatha nigripennis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by LeConte in 1853. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, characterized by elongated maxillae adapted for feeding on flower nectar. The species occurs in Central America and North America, with records from the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other members of its genus, adults are typically found on flowers where they feed on pollen and nectar using their specialized mouthparts.
Pidonia nitidicollis
A small black and yellow longhorn beetle in the subfamily Lepturinae. Adults have been observed visiting flowers of various herbaceous plants in western North America. The species is currently accepted under this name, though some sources list it as a synonym of Pidonia ruficollis.
Pidonia ruficollis
Stripe-legged Long-horned Beetle
Pidonia ruficollis is a species of long-horned beetle (Cerambycidae) in the subfamily Lepturinae, first described by Thomas Say in 1824. It is commonly known as the Stripe-legged Long-horned Beetle. The species is part of a diverse genus of flower-visiting cerambycids and has been documented across eastern North America.
Pyrota limbalis
Pyrota limbalis is a species of blister beetle (family Meloidae) in the tribe Pyrotini. Like other members of the genus, it belongs to a group of meloid beetles characterized by aposematic coloration and association with flowers. The species name 'limbalis' refers to marginal features, likely of the elytra or pronotum. It is one of approximately 30 described species in the genus Pyrota, which occurs primarily in the Americas.
Typocerus sparsus
flower longhorn
Typocerus sparsus is a species of flower longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by LeConte in 1878. It is distributed across North America, with records from Canada (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Québec) and the United States. As a member of the subfamily Lepturinae, it shares the characteristic diurnal activity and flower-visiting behavior of this group.