Eastern Pondhawk

Eastern Pondhawk Dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis)
are one of the most common dragonflies throughout eastern North America. There are also small populations in New Mexico and Arizona. They are a medium sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 2 1/2 to 3 inches. The overall color is green and black which allows them to blend in with vegetation near ponds, lakes, streams and other watery areas where they will be found. They often hunt for food far away from water so it is not uncommon to find them in fields, meadows, prairies and grasslands where no water is present. Like all dragonflies they feed exclusively on insects which they capture on the fly. They will use their legs to scoop bugs out of the air and bring the unfortunate victim to their mouth and begin feeding. They are the original inventors of "fast food." They will sometimes land on a nearby perch to finish their meal.

Mating takes place near water, and the female will lay her eggs in the vegetation in the water. The eggs hatch and the young nymphs will remain in the water feeding off aquatic insects. In about a year they will be ready to leave the water for the first time and shed their skin to become the gorgeous adult that you see here. They will climb onto a stick, rock or other solid surface. While they cling to this vantage point their skin will split down the back and the dragonfly hidden within will crawl out leaving its shed skin behind. The dragonfly is completely helpless at this point. It cannot swim away, crawl away or fly away. The dragonfly will  begin pumping its wings to allow fluid to reach them. This fluid will engorge the wings and ready them for flight. Once the dragonfly has sufficiently dried itself and its wings are strong enough, it will take flight for the first time. Soon after its maiden voyage it will begin seeking mates. This will begin the cycle all over again.

Immature males will be powdery blue (pictured at right) and as they age they will be mostly green. Females are also green with black spots on their abdomen.
These dragonflies also go by the name "Green Jacket" and "Common Pondhawk". They are typically easier to approach than most other species of dragonflies. With over 30,000 lenses per eye they have excellent eyesight and are next to impossible to sneak up on. With dragonflies it is more about temperament, which can vary by species, as well as individuals within each species. 

Scooped Scarab

This small black beetle is the Scooped Scarab Beetle (Onthophagus hecate), they are a dung beetle in the family
Scarabaeidae and subfamily Scarabaeinae . They are a small beetle reaching lengths up to 9mm or approximately 1/2 inch. They are uniformly matte black with an excessively pock-marked pronotum. Major males have large horns projecting from their heads. The horns on minor males are much smaller and females lack a horn altogether. It can be presumed that males use the horns for fighting other males to win the affections of nearby females. Many beetles that possess such decoration typically use them to flip their competition over on their backs. Which ever beetle ends up belly-up is the loser and the other wins the right to mate with the nearby female(s). 

They are found on dung, rotting fruit, decaying carcasses and other unsavory substances. Once mated, the female will form dung into a small ball and roll it with her hind legs, which extend far back on the abdomen to allow for such movement. She is trying to locate just the right spot in the dirt that will allow her legs to dig. If the dirt is too compacted her legs are not strong enough to dig into it. Once the right spot is located, she will then dig a small burrow or tunnel around the ball of dung until it is buried under ground. Dung buried in this fashion limit fly resources while providing nutrients for plant growth. She will then deposit eggs on or near the dung ball. When the young hatch they will feed on the dung which contains all the nutrients they need. Rarely is the dung consumed in its entirety which leaves valuable nutrients in the soil to aid in fertilization. These beetles are a dairy farmer, beef farmer and ranchers friend because of the aeration to the soil they provide as well as the nutrients they randomly deposit. 

 

Because these beetles feed on dung, limiting or omitting the use of  Parasiticides to control flies on cattle may be necessary to protect your beetles. Many of these chemicals come out in the waste of the cattle and are consumed by flies which is designed to control their numbers, but this can also kill dung beetles. Do you have dung beetles in your pastures? If you have a long history of using any of the following medications for fly control, abamectin, ivermectin, eprinomectin, doramectin, then most likely you won't have any. Want to encourage the dung beetles back to your farm or ranch, then you may want to consider removing these chemicals from your routine. Flies are the bane of farmers everywhere and cause untold problems for livestock, so controlling them is imperative. However there are chemicals available that will provide fly control, but not release themselves into the cow patty. Do your research and determine the best possible chemical to use that will limit harm to the environment as well as to the dung beetles. Dung beetles show up very quickly to piles of fresh dung and to confirm their presence simply look at the surface of the cow patty. Do you see little holes? If so there may be beetles present. You can use a trowel, shovel or your boot to carefully dig into the patty and look for the beetles. 

You'll notice, if you look closely that the dung beetle pictured below has small reddish colored mites hanging out all over it. These mites do not hurt the beetle, in fact they are aiding the beetle as a beetle-wash by lapping up nasty little hanger-ons from the buffet of dung, rotting fruit, or carcass they just left. The beetle in turn provides transit for the mites by acting like a greyhound bus to transport the mites to other locations. 

They are found throughout most of the United States with exception of the extreme western portion of the country. They are common in most of their range and often show up at porch lights.

Elderberry Borer Beetle

The Elderberry Borer or Cloaked Knotty-Horned Beetle as it is sometimes referred to (Desmocerus palliatus) is found in North America from Oklahoma to the Appalachian Mountains. They are found more often in the northern portion of their range in marshy, swampy areas where their host plant, elderberries, occur. This small to medium sized beetle reaches lengths up to 26 mm without antennae. They are a gorgeous colored beetle with iridescent bluish wings and  a vibrant yellow or yellow-orange band across the upper portion of the wings. The middle segments of the antennae have distinct knobby points which earned them the common name of Knotty-Horned Beetle or Cloaked Knotty-Horned Beetle. They are unmistakable and not to be confused with any other species as no other beetle carries such vibrant, unique colors and pattern.

A couple of years ago I became acquainted with a woman named Annie Ray who did her doctoral work on beetles in this genus. Her project was centered around the pheromones produced by the female of this species and how the male homes in on her scent. As part of the research we had to dig down into the roots of the elderberries and break open the root masses looking for larvae or pupae.

The objective was to find them in this stage, because when they were located as adults they would not work for her research purposes. In essence she needed the virginal females. This all sounds easy in theory, but I assure you in practice it is much more difficult than you would expect. We were working in 90 degree temperatures often in full sun. We had experienced recent rains, which made one of our locations extremely muddy and digging in soppy, water-logged soil was pure torture, especially with the beating sun baking your skin. I became very adept at using shovels, spades, axes and limb loppers.

 Careful was the word of the day. It was all too easy to accidentally cut a larvae or pupae in half. This was enough to bring you to tears, to have worked so hard to find one, only to realize you destroyed it before you could get it out of its pupal chamber. Often we would work for as much as an hour before finding a single specimen.

Each discovery brought excitement. It really is true that the things we work the hardest for bring the greatest joy, because each time we found one of these elusive larvae or pupae you would have thought we struck gold at the amount of excitement we expressed. Annie spent three days here in NW Missouri working at several different locations, including Squaw Creek NWR, where she was given permission through an application process to search for these beetles on the refuge. All told she went home with 7 specimens. Not near the number we were hoping for, but ever the optimist she was grateful to not have been completely skunked. The beetles were safely ensconced in vials and packed for airplane travel to Ohio. From there they were to be shipped to California to her research assistant to begin extracting pheromones from.

Females of this species will begin "calling" for males as soon as they emerge from their underground pupal cell. Males come from great distances drawn by her scent and mating takes place immediately. We were certain that each adult we found had already been mated because of how rapidly this activity takes place once the females leave their pupal chamber. Females lay their eggs at the base of elderberry bushes, and the larvae will burrow into the roots or stem bases to feed. When they are ready to pupate they will travel to the soft, pithy parts of the branches, often near the roots and form a pupal cell. They emerge in early spring. Timing is everything when you are seeking to find these beetles before emergence. Literally it had to be timed so that we were digging and searching a few days prior to when we thought they would be coming out of their underground chambers. Once the adults are plentiful, your window of opportunity is gone.

These beetles are not known to cause any significant damage to the elderberry bushes. They do not occur in large enough numbers to wreck havoc. As adults they feed on the pollen in spring.Finding these beetles is not always easy, but once you've found one they are sure to leave an impression with their beautiful color and substantial size. Look for elderberries in full bloom in the spring and with any luck you will be awarded with the sight of one of these gorgeous beetles.

Mayfly

Mayflies are not actually flies at all. They are insects in the order Ephemeroptera and the family Ephemieridae, which translates into "short-lived" and likely eludes to the very short lifespan of these insects.

How do we know if something is a fly or merely called a fly? Here is an easy way to tell the difference, if the name is all one word like Mayfly, Dobsonfly, Caddisfly, Dragonfly, Damselfly, etc.. then it is definitely NOT a fly, but rather belongs to some other order of insect. If the insect has a first and last name like House Fly, Bot Fly, Flesh Fly, Flower Fly, Robber Fly, Bee Fly....etc. Then it definitely IS a fly.

They are one of the most commonly seen insects at porch lights in early summer or sometimes fall.
 The species I see more often than any other is the Burrowing Mayfly. They are also the largest species of mayfly in Missouri, reaching lengths up to 1 1/2 inches. Most mayflies are found in the Eastern United States, with only few species being found out west. It is not uncommon to have dozens of these at porch light in June, or in the case of this youtube video hundreds of thousands swarming a pole. Check out this Mayfly emergence.

The Burrowing Mayfly, also known as the Golden Mayfly, is a beautiful shade of golden-yellow with pale bands across their abdomen (pictured below).As they age their coloring will become darker.

The lifecycle of a mayfly begins underwater as a nymph with seven pairs of gills. They live in the bottom sediment of streams, slow moving rivers, ponds and lakes. The nymphs feed on sediment, diatoms and several species are predatory and feed on other aquatic insects. After numerous molts (skin sheds), they will emerge approximately one year after hatching in the water. The males typically appear first, as subimago adults,meaning they are not completely formed adults yet, they will shed their skin one more time before completing their lifecycle to adulthood. These subimago's are a favorite food of trout and are often used by fisherman as bait. Trout fishermen also use mayflies as a model for the flies that they tie for bait. Mayflies are the only group of insects to have this subimago stage into adulthood. As a subimago they do not fly well, cannot reproduce and lack the coloring of the adult form that would attract a mate. Within 24 hours after emerging they will shed and become full fledged adults capable of breeding. Females emerge shortly after males and also shed their skin for the final time. Mating occurs within hours of emerging.


Time is of the essence, when you only live a day or two, or perhaps only mere minutes (for some species) there is no time to waste on frivolity. Soon after mating, the female will drop her eggs upstream in the water, the current will softly carry the eggs downstream and deposit them on the substrate in the bottom of the stream. If the eggs are laid in lakes or ponds she will drop them wily-nily on top the water, and the eggs sink to the bottom. In some parts of the world the emergence of mayflies is a sight to behold, they all seem to appear at once in a mass exodus. Millions of mayflies rising up out of the water in one large swarm, landing on every available surface may seem like a nuisance to many humans, but these little insects serve a major role in the lifecycle of other species. Mayflies are not only consumed by trout and other fish, but birds, frogs, toads, and other insect eating creatures get in on the all-u-can-eat buffet of mayflies as well.

                                                         (Jumping spider eating mayfly)

I am not sure of the species of this mayfly pictured below on the Sage, but it is a beautiful shade of russet and is much smaller than the Burrowing Mayfly at only 3/4 of an inch in length. 

Although their large numbers can be intimidating, they are completely harmless to humans. They cannot bite, in fact they do not have functioning mouth parts. This lack of mouth parts, also means they do not feed. Their only reason for existence it would appear is to mate, reproduce, and to be sustenance to other creatures. I did find a website that claimed they eat fruits and flowers, but in my opinion this would be fallacy. I know of no mayfly that has the ability to eat, nor do they live long enough to worry about eating even if they could. I would be curious to see what the experts have to say. This is just one example of how much mixed information is out there on the web and it pays to do numerous searches before settling on the truth about something.

Harvestman

When is a spider not a spider? When it is a Harvestman (a.k.a Daddy Longlegs). These spider-like arthropods are in the order Opiliones. These arachnids are common to abundant in North America as well as worldwide with over 6500 species identified.
Most of us grew up playing with daddy longlegs, after all they were everywhere and easily captured and never tried to bite. Their long legs would tickle your bare skin as they climbed up your arm or leg which
was sure to bring on giggles or squeals depending on your reaction. As a naturalist I am blessed to work with children on a regular basis and I am often transported back to my own childhood when the groups of children who visit our trail are confronted with these charming creatures. Some are frightened, some are unsure, others are excited, but all are enthralled. Oh to be 4 years old again!

They get their common name of Harvestman from their frequency during autumn harvest. Truthfully it is during the fall that they are more easily seen as they are now adults and much larger. They also tend to aggregate in large numbers, sometimes dozens upon dozens along the foundations of homes. The common name of daddy longlegs comes from their protective tendency toward the females and eggs at mating time earning them the name of "daddy", not to mention the "long legs' compared to body size that they possess.
Native Americans referred to them as Grandfather Greybeard which meant Feet of Hairs. One could assume that this was derived from the legs resembling thin strands of hair.

Fossils dating back 400 million years ago have been found of this species in Scotland. Very little has changed in appearance with the daddy longlegs in all that time.

(Fossil image of Harvestman from 50 million years ago

http://en.harunyahya.net/harvestman-fossils-fossil-pictures/)

Harvestmen differ from spiders in several ways, but the most obvious will be the body shape and the eyes. Spiders have two body parts that include an abdomen and a cephalothorax (head and thorax combined into one) and daddy longlegs have one compact body part. Spiders have a cluster of eight or six eyes (depending upon species) whereas daddy longlegs have two eyes. They also have no silk glands, therefore cannot spin silken webs like spiders. Daddy longlegs also possess no fangs or venom unlike spiders which have both.

This lack of venom and fangs brings me to a myth that is commonly associated with this species. It has been said that these "spiders" are the most venomous of all spiders if only their fangs were strong enough and long enough to penetrate human tissue. There is no truth to this myth at all. First we must keep in mind these creatures do not have fangs so biting is an impossibility regardless if we had thin skin or not. They also possess no venom which makes them harmless. Handling them is completely safe and a great way to introduce young children to nature. Encourage your child or grandchild to handle them gently, no pulling off legs.

Other myths associated with this creature include the belief that they could help a cattle rancher locate lost cattle. If a cowboy in search of a wandering cow or calf could pick up a daddy longlegs by 7 of its 8 legs the remaining 8th leg left dangling would point in the direction of the lost cow. 

It was also believed that if you killed a daddy longlegs it would bring rain the next day. This particular myth could be unfortunate for the poor harvestman. Thankfully this belief is not wide spread or passed along generation to generation or the common harvestman may find itself not so common any more.

Without fangs and venom how does this species consume food? Like spiders they have mouth parts, but unlike spiders they do not need to dissolve their food in order to digest it. They can consume their food in small chunks. Their diet also differs from spiders in that they are often scavengers feeding on dead insects, plant matter, and fungi. Spiders are carnivorous and feed exclusively on other arthropods, unless you are a large spider (think tarantula) then you might feed on larger prey like mice, shrews, minnows or even birds. I've witnessed harvestmen feeding on a wide variety of insects, from flies to millipedes. They typically stalk their food using their sensitive second pair of legs to help them feel their environment. This is beneficial to a creature with poor eyesight like the harvestman. They are fastidiously hygienic and will clean their legs after each meal by passing their legs thru their mouth effectively "washing" them. Momma longlegs must be proud.

(Feeding on a dead millipede. You will also notice tiny red mites on the legs of the daddy longlegs)

(This daddy longlegs captured this fly and ate it)

After mating, the female will lay eggs and in many species the males will guard the eggs and protect them from potential predators. The male will clean the eggs  and guard the nest until the eggs hatch. It may take from 20 days to 6 months for them to emerge depending upon species and climate. Once they have hatched the young will go through 6 molts, or instars before reaching adult size. Although some species may go through 8 instars to reach maturity.

Harvestmen have several defenses, including the ability to emit a foul smelling odor from special glands in their legs when disturbed. If bothered by a potential predator many species may also play dead, or detach a leg that will continue twitching which can distract the predator giving the harvestman enough time to escape. Some species will bob their bodies which may also confuse a predator. Escaping a predator is not always that easy and many fall prey to various creatures like other arthropods, birds, and lizards.

 (Coal skink eating a daddy longlegs)

While daddy longlegs may have some success in warding off potential predators by using distracting measures there are some different types of predators they cannot avoid and those are mites.These mites act as a parasite on the daddy longlegs. They seem to have the same affect on the spider as ticks would have on mammals. In large enough numbers the mite-parasite will destroy the host. The one photographed below was well on its way to deaths door due to mite infestation. It was wobbly and ungainly, unable to keep its balance. It was quickly succumbing to the onslaught of mites.

Each person will have a different reaction to these arachnids. Some will cringe in fear as their arachnophobia is triggered by a creature that looks enough like a spider to be one. Others may find them creepy or disgusting as unfortunately many people do when faced with any 6 or 8 legged creature. Still others may find them comic or fascinating. Whichever category you fall into keep in mind these harmless creatures are beneficial to our yards and gardens. They consume dead or dying arthropods, may even consume the dead flesh of carcasses. They feed on dung, plant matter and fungi, turning their diet into organic matter that benefits soil and garden plants. These endearing spider-like creatures are also reminders to us of a simpler time in our life. The time of lightning bug lanterns, ladybugs, and daddy longlegs the gentle spider of our youth.

Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshopper

This rather drab-looking grasshopper is the Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshopper (Arphia xanthoptera), in the family
Acrididae which are the short-horned grasshoppers. They occur throughout the eastern and central United States. They are found in open woodlands, grasslands, dry fields, and prairies. They feed on various grasses and possibly other plants as well. They do not seem to occur in abundance anywhere in their natural habitats therefore they are not considered a pest species. 

I photographed this one on our wood pile. I am still not quite sure how I even noticed it as it nearly camouflaged itself perfectly against the color and grain of the wood. They are distinguished from other grasshoppers in this genus by the noticeable hump on their pronotum (neck).

They are also larger than other grasshoppers in this genus, reaching lengths up to 46mm. Their underwings are nearly always bright yellow, hence the common name. 
When approached they are quick to retreat and fly away with nothing more than a flash of brilliant yellow visible. They often sing while in flight. This sound is made by the by rubbing the underside of the forewings against the veins of the hindwings. This is believed to attract nearby females. 

Once mating has occurred the females will lay their eggs in the ground and they will overwinter in the soil. Young emerge in March or April and reach maturity by mid-summer. Adults are usually seen from August to November.

Smaller Yellow Ant

The Smaller Yellow Ant (Lasius claviger) is one of the many ants in the genus Lasius which are the citronella ants. They get their name from the lemon-like odor they emit when disturbed. They are a pale yellow-orange color which may vary in intensity ant-by-ant. In October these ants depart over-crowded conditions in existing colonies on what is known as maiden flights. Males and females both will develop wings and leave the home colony to mate and begin new colonies. The winged individuals are referred to as Alates, which is derived from the latin word ala which means "wing." Females will mate with several males to insure genetic variation in her offspring. After mating, the males will die and females will locate an existing Lasuis colony. She will invade this nest and begin laying her own eggs. Once her offspring has matured it is reported that they will locate the existing queen of the original colony and kill her. At this point the new queen controls the colony and in time her offspring will dominate the colony. 

The ants pictured here were photographed in my backyard, on the ground near my clothes line. I was outside looking for bugs on an unseasonably warm day in October. As temperatures reached 65 degrees and the sun warmed the ground these ants were swarming all over the place,climbing on the clothesline poles, the plants nearby and all over the ground itself. They crawled all over each other and often used their antennae to smell each other. I spent a considerable amount of time watching them and taking pictures. I finally walked away from them and continued my search around the yard for other insects or possibly a hardy snake out basking. 20 minutes later I returned to the area where the ants were and discovered they had departed. Where once there were literally hundreds of winged ants there were now less than a dozen still hanging around. I was shocked at how quickly they left and where did they all go?

These ants send up vast amounts of alates into the environment and it can be assumed this is because of the large amount of ants that will fall prey to hungry birds and other critters that enjoy eating ants. If you saturate the ecosystem with an over abundance of mature individuals you virtually guarantee the success of the species. 

These ants favor woodlands as their habitat. They are often found under logs, rocks or other natural debris. They tunnel underground among plant roots. Often the roots of the plants or trees have exposed areas that allow for aphids to feed on the sap. It is common for the aphids to share the ant colony where the ants "milk" the aphids for the sweet honeydew they produce. As aphids eat they turn the sap and other plant liquids into a tasty waste product called honeydew that ants savor. They will herd and protect aphids which in turn allow the ants to lap up the honeydew from their anus. 

This particular species is the most commonly found citronella ant in the Eastern United States. Look for winged swarms sometime in October on warm days following a cold snap. For some reason the cooler temperatures followed by a warm day triggers something in the ants to swarm.

Green Soldier Fly

This lovely little green fly is the Green Soldier Fly (Odontomyia cincta) in the family Stratiomyidae. There are 31 species within the genus Odontomyia in North America.

Average size is approximately 3/4 of in inch. They are bright lime green with a black mark on top of the thorax. The eyes are reddish in color as are the legs.

After mating, females lay eggs near water and the larva live a fully aquatic life where they feed on algae. In order to breathe they will extend the tip of their abdomens thru the surface of the water to gain oxygen. Adults are often found nectaring at flowers or may be found gleaning nutrients from dung.

These flies are most likely bee mimics or perhaps wasp mimics. There is no question that their similarity to many metallic wasps and bees is uncanny.

Four-Spotted Tree Cricket

This pretty, lime green cricket is the Four-Spotted Tree Cricket (Oecanthus quadripunctatus), which is a cricket belonging to the family Gryllidae. There are 17 species of tree crickets within this family and many are difficult to distinguish from one another. All are small, usually 1 inch in length or less. This particular tree cricket is the only known species to occur in all 48 contiguous states. The other day the temperatures warmed to nearly 60 degrees and I kept hearing a cricket calling in a bush outside our front door. I investigated the bush, only to discover the cricket had become quiet. I walked away and then heard the cricket again, back to the bush I went and again it was quiet. I approached the bush no less than a half dozen times only to be rebuffed by this boisterous cricket by sudden silence. I was determined at this point to find this tiny little singer and see if I could identify it. I suspected by its sound that it was a tree cricket, but which one? I sat on the ground next to the bush and did not move, did not make a sound. It worked! The cricket began singing in earnest. I slowly moved my head toward where I thought the sound was coming from and suddenly noticed what appeared to be tiny leaves vibrating against a limb in the bush. Those tiny shivering leaves were the buzzing wings of the little cricket I was searching for. I was in awe of this hearty little insect. We have had numerous heavy frosts and a light freeze up to the day I discovered him in the bush. I could not imagine how he had survived such harsh temperatures. Not only had he survived but seemed invigorated by the cold spell and sudden warm weather. Was he confused? Did he think winter had already passed and it was time for thoughts of love? Was he singing for a lady friend? Was he singing to advertise food? Or was he just happy to be alive? I guess we'll never know, after all how can we know what the tiny little brain of an insect thinks, or even if it thinks at all? 

Once I spotted the cricket and had taken some photographs I was uncertain which species it was. At first I suspected it was a snowy tree cricket, but wasn't 100% convinced, it somehow sounded different than the other snowy's I had previously heard. It didn't look quite the same either. I submitted a series of images to bugguide.net and received an answer within days that this was a Four-spotted tree cricket. Apparently they have a series of dark spots on their antennae that gives them their common name. I however did not notice these spots nor did I even know to look for them as I had never heard of this species before now.

After reading a little about this species I learned that they typically hang out close to the ground in vegetation, usually three feet or less up in a bush, grasses or other plant. The one I photographed here was approximately two feet off the ground in the center of the bush well hidden from prying eyes.
They are found along roadsides, in open fields, old pastures, and in crop ground. 

Mating takes place in autumn, usually in September and October. Males will find a vantage point in a bush or shrub and call loudly a love song that is sure to appeal to any nearby females. She will lay eggs in the ground soon after mating and the eggs overwinter in the soil. Young hatch in June when the soil temperatures signal warmer weather and available food sources. The young are hatched looking very much like the adults only lacking wings. As they age and grow wing pads become visible. By August or early September the offspring are now full grown adults and ready to mate and continue the cycle. 

While I am not a fan of winter and grumble through the cold temperatures like a grumpy old lady.....longing for warmer weather and sunshine. I relish warm winter days when a few hardy insects find the sunshine and warmer temperatures too hard to resist. I don't even mind the wayward Asian lady beetle or boxelder bug that makes its way into my house, at least it is a sign of life on an otherwise dismal landscape. 

Sing on little cricket before the weather becomes more than your little body can endure.

Orange-Banded Checkered Beetle

Checkered beetles in the family Cleridae are common throughout the United States. They can be found in a wide variety of habitats and typically feed on other beetles and their larvae. Some will scavenge for food and still others will feed on pollen.

These little beetles are usually brightly colored like the one pictured here which was photographed in my backyard. This particular species the Orange-Banded Checkered Beetle (Enoclerus coccineus), is very common in Missouri and ranges from New Mexico to Minnesota. Their small size often causes them to be overlooked by the average person. In spite of the fact that they are common, they are still rarely seen. I've only ever encountered three of these beetles in the last 5 or more years. Clerid beetles are small beetles that range in size from 3mm to 24 mm.

Mating takes place while the female is eating. She requires appropriate energy for egg production. After mating, females will lay eggs under the bark of trees. It can take from 3 months to 3 years for the offspring to complete their lifecycle. This is dependent upon species, and weather. Warmer temperatures will speed up development. If temperatures drop below the threshold tolerance it will delay development. The offspring are voracious hunters and capable of finding and feasting on the larva of bark beetles. This appetite has earned them favor among individuals in favor of biological control of pest insects. These beetles are used to control bark beetle populations in certain areas where they are posing problems for woodlands.

Some species may be beneficial to forensic science, even if in a limited capacity, due to their habit of showing up on dead or decaying bodies. Unlike many other insect species that are attracted to decaying flesh which show up in the earliest stages of decay, clerid beetles frequently are found in the later stages of decay.Which may make their appeal somewhat limited to forensic scientists.
Still other clerids are found among dried, smoked and stored meats and can cause infestation issues.


There are somewhere around 3,500 species of clerid beetles found Worldwide, with 500 species found in 37 genera within the United States and Canada. Most are similarly shaped with elongated bodies, covered in bristly hairs and bright colors and patterns.

For another great article about this species visit Beetles in the Bush.