Species Trichodes apivorus - Checkered Beetle

Circa 12 mm

Medium size, orange-and-black banded, pronotum hairy. See photos. My identification of the photos (two taken June 5, 2004, Weymouth Woods Preserve, Moore County, North Carolina) is based on:

1-Identification of that individual as belonging to genus Trichodes. It is quite similar to the well-illustrated T. nuttalli. The photograph and size (circa 12 mm) matches the description of the genus given by Dillon, p. 279 (1) The matching characters include antennal morphology--three segments in terminal club.

2-Presence of only T. apivorus for genus in North Carolina State University Entomology Collection and Brimley, Insects of North Carolina (2). The latter refence even lists Southern Pines as a locality for T. apivorus, with a season of May-July. (Southern Pines is just 5 kilometers from Weymouth Woods.)

3-Presence of only T. apivorus on a checklist for Florida. It seems that T. apivorus may be the only Trichodes in the southeast?

Includes central and southeastern United States (on lists for Illinois, North Carolina, and Florida). In North Carolina, Brimley, p. 157, lists from Raleigh, Southern Pines (lower elevation), May-July; Mountains, June. This is the only species of the genus listed by that author for the state. (2)

Seen on flowers in fields

May-July at lower elevations in North Carolina

Adults take nectar (or pollen?) and small insects, such as thrips, on flowers.

Larvae (this genus) are predators of solitary bees and wasps, esp. vespids. Eggs are laid on flowers. Larvae hatch, and attach to visiting hymenoptera. They hitch-hike to nests and prey on or parasitize larvae. Overwinter as larvae or pupae, and adult beetles emerge in late spring to mid-summer. (3)

Similar to the (more widespread?) T. nutalli. This would appear to be a more southeastern species, based on (rather sketchy) print and Internet references.

Brimley, p. 157 (2)

Arnett (4)

Milne, p. 577, life history of T. nutalli (3)

Beetles of Florida

Listed from Illinois as feeding on Rudbeckia

North Carolina State University Entomology Collection lists only T. aprivorus from NC, with 31 pinned. ("aprivorus" is a misspelling for "apivorous".)