Species Trichodes nutalli - Red-blue Checkered Beetle

Classification · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Red-blue Checkered Beetle - Trichodes nutalli

Trichodes nutalli - I reckon - Trichodes nutalli

Black and red beetle - Trichodes nutalli

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Cleroidea (Bark-gnawing, Checkered and Soft-winged Flower Beetles)

Family Cleridae (Checkered Beetles)

Genus Trichodes

Species nutalli (Red-blue Checkered Beetle)

Size

8-11mm (1)

Identification

Base color is dark blue, purple or greenish blue. Elytra darker with reddish to yellowish markings. (1)

Range

Colorado, Eastern US/Canada, south to VA/TN (1)(2)

Habitat

Found on flowers of wild rose, dandelion, daisy, yarrow, Achillea millefolium and others (2)

Food

It is a predator of larvae in the nests of bees and wasps.

Remarks

There definitely appears to be some confusion about the proper spelling of the species name.

T. nutalli (3)(4)(1)

T. nuttalli (2)(ITIS)

I "asked the audience" and saw 23 google hits with one 't' versus 4 with both, so I went with one.

Print References

Color illustration on inside front cover of volume 1 of Dillon and Dillon (4)

Figure 536 in How to Know the Beetles (1)

Internet References

Cedar Creek images

Works Cited

1.	How to Know the Beetles By Ross H. Arnett, N. M. Downie, H. E. Jaques

2.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico By Ross H. Arnett

3.	A Comprehensive Guide to North American Insects By Charles S. Papp

4.	A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 14 April, 2004 - 10:09pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset
Last updated 2 June, 2006 - 11:19am

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