Wood-boring-beetle-predator
Guides
Andrenosoma cruentum
Mangrove Chiselmouth
Andrenosoma cruentum is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, subfamily Laphriinae. It belongs to a genus of predatory flies whose larvae feed on wood-boring beetle larvae. The species is found in mangrove habitats, distinguishing it from congeners that inhabit dry, sandy woodlands. Like other Andrenosoma species, adults are sit-and-wait predators that perch on exposed surfaces to ambush prey.
Andrenosoma fulvicaudum
Northern Chiselmouth
Andrenosoma fulvicaudum is a robber fly (family Asilidae) in the subfamily Laphriinae, distributed across most of North America. Adults measure 15–20 mm and are characterized by distinctive reddish-brown terminal abdominal segments contrasting with blue-black anterior segments. The species is associated with dry, sandy habitats and dead wood, where adults perch on sunlit tree trunks and logs to hunt small insects. Larvae develop as predators of wood-boring beetle larvae.
Andrenosoma hesperium
Golden-horned Chiselmouth
Andrenosoma hesperium is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, subfamily Laphriinae. Described by Martin in 1966, this western North American species is one of six Andrenosoma species occurring in North America, with four species restricted to Texas, one to eastern North America (A. fulvicaudum), and A. hesperium occurring only in the western United States. Like other laphriine robber flies, its larvae are predators of wood-boring beetle larvae.
Andrenosoma xanthocnemum
Texas Chiselmouth
A species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, subfamily Laphriinae. Like other members of its subfamily, larvae are predators of wood-boring beetle larvae. The genus Andrenosoma reaches its greatest diversity in the Neotropics, with A. xanthocnemum being one of several species restricted to Texas and the western United States.
Chariessa pilosa
Pilose Checkered Beetle
Chariessa pilosa is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is a predator of wood-boring beetles and has been recorded from Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. The species is known to inhabit galleries made by wood-boring beetles, including during its pupation stage.
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.
Temnoscheila virescens
Temnoscheila virescens is a predatory beetle in the family Trogossitidae, commonly known as bark-gnawing beetles. Research demonstrates that this species is attracted to cerambycid beetle pheromones, specifically 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, with ethanol enhancing this attraction. This chemical eavesdropping behavior indicates a predator-prey relationship with longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae). The species belongs to a family whose members are typically associated with dead or dying wood habitats.