Wolcottia pedalis (LeConte, 1866)

Chapman, Eric G., Leavengood, John M. & Dupuis, Julian R., 2025, The Cleridae and Thanerocleridae of eastern North America, with illustrated keys, updated distributions, and special emphasis on the Kentucky fauna, Zootaxa 5639 (1), pp. 1-88 : 69-70

Wolcottia pedalis (LeConte, 1866) ; Cleridae : Clerinae : Hydnocerini

Illustrations: Plate 5-K. Key to clerid genera, couplet 11-B, couplet 12-C, couplet 13-B, D

Distribution: TX to GA to NJ to MI to SD to CO.

- Recorded from: AL, AR, CO, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MO, NC, NE, NJ, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, and WI ( Wickham 1902; Schenkling 1908; Downie & White 1966; Barr 1975; Gosling 1980; Downie & Arnett 1996; Hoffman et al. 2002). Dorshorst & Young (2008) suspect that Wolcott’s (1908) Wisconsin record was based on a misidentification, and that this record was subsequently included in Wickham & Wolcott (1912), Wolcott (1947), and thereafter. Records from Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas in Wolcott (1947), Papp (1960), and BugGuide (along with other online sources’) are almost certainly Wolcottia sobrina (Fall) , for which there are no BugGuide or iNaturalist species pages (as of 23 January 2025).

- New State Records: ALABAMA: Madison County: Monte Sano St Pk, 27-V-1984, N. M. Downie (FSCA, 9); Monte Sano St Pk, 25-V-1984, 25-V-1987, N. M. Downie (FMNH, 2). ARKANSAS: Benton County: Garfield, 10-VI-1975, M. Gambill (UAAM, 1); Crawford County: Ozark Nat’l Forest, Hwy 59 at Low Gap Hollow, 2-VI-2001, E. G. Riley (TAMU, 3); Ozark Nat’l Forest, Hwy 59 at Low Gap Hollow, 2-VI-2001, E. G. Riley (JMLC, 1); Logan County: Mount Magazine, Cameron Bluff, VI-1964, J. F. G. Clark & T. M. Clarke (NMNH, 1); Pulaski County: Little Rock, Camp Robinson, Malaise trap, 5-VII-2002, B. Baldwin (UAAM, 3); Stone County: Gunner Pool Recr. Area, vic. Hedges Campground, 20-V-2005, R. Androw, K. Karms (RAAC, 1); Washington County: 16-V-1974 (UAAM, 1). GEORGIA: Greene County: Oconee Nat. Forest, Sandy Ck. at 1231, 10-IV-1976, R. Turnbow (RHTC, 1). IOWA: Jones County: 16-VI-1934, H. E. Jacques (FMNH, 1). KENTUCKY: Bullitt County: Bernheim Forest, 3-VII-59, BL Monroe (UKIC, 1); Fayette County: Horse Farm, elev 1011 ft, 16-31-V-2012, John M Leavengood, Jr., Michael J Sharkey, Erika M Tucker, Eric G Chapman (JMLC, 1); Lexington, Malaise trap, 8-11-VII-1971, PH Freytag, Gene Leppert (UKIC, 1); Lexington, Malaise trap, 25-28-VI-1971, PH Freytag, Gene Leppert (UKIC, 1); Franklin County: 22-VI-65 (UKIC, 1); Jessamine County: Malaise trap, 11-15-VII-1974 (UKIC, 1); Malaise trap, 20-25-VI-1974, PH Freytag (UKIC, 1); Madison County: The Bull, Malaise trap, 9-26-V-2012, John M Leavengood, Jr., Michael J Sharkey, Erika M Tucker, Eric G Chapman (JMLC, 1); Berea College Forest, Horse Cove Rd., fogging, 269m, 2-VIII-2013, Chapman & Iza de Campos (JMLC, 2); Berea Experimental Forest, blacklight trap, 18-VI-2011, J. M. Leavengood, Jr. (JMLC, 1); Nicholas County: Blue Lick St. Pk., 1-VII-1967, R. & A. Graves (CMNH, 3); Owens County: Herndon Farm, MT, 135m, 9-22-VI-2009, Boring, Clutts, Yu, Sharkey & Leavengood (JMLC, 7); Herndon Farm, MT, 126m, 8- 23-VII-2009, Boring, Clutts, Yu, Sharkey & Leavengood (JMLC, 4); Herndon Farm, Malaise trap, 23-VII-16- VIII-2009, Andy Boring, Stephanie Clutts, Dicky Yu, Michael J Sharkey, John M Leavengood, Jr. (JMLC, 1); Herndon Farm, MT, 124m, 22-VI-8-VII-2009, Boring, Clutts, Yu, Sharkey & Leavengood (JMLC, 1); Herndon Farm, Malaise trap, 8-VII-23-VIII-2009, Andy Boring, Stephanie Clutts, Dicky Yu, Michael J Sharkey, John M Leavengood, Jr. (JMLC, 5); Scott County: sweeping, 383201 843816, 13-VI-2007, Charles Wright (CEWC, 1); sweeping, 383201 843816, 13-VI-2007, Charles Wright (CEWC, 2). NORTH CAROLINA: Haywood County: GSMNP, The Purchase, weather stn., Malaise trap, 8-12-VIII-2003, GJ Steck & BD Sutton (FSCA, 1); Wake County: Raleigh, 7-VI-1957, D. H. Habeck (FSCA, 1); Raleigh, 25-V-1950, H & A Howden (CMNC, 2). OKLAHOMA: Latimer County: VI-1981, VI-1983, VI-1984, VI-1986, VI-1987, VI-1988, VI-1989, VI-1991, VII-1983, K. Stephan (FSCA, 38); LeFlore County: Lake Wister, 28-VI-1993, D. J. Heffern (WOPC, 1); Woods County: 14 mi N 9 mi W Alva, 3-V-2004, B & J Smith (CMNH, 1). TENNESSEE: Blount County: Cades Cove, Wildcat Branch, Malaise trap, 7-9-VII-2003, A. J. Mayor (FSCA, 2); GSMNP, Cades Cove, Mill Creek, N35.34.60/W83.50.8, old field-forest, elev. 1792’, 6-m Malaise trap, 28-IX-2003, Steck & Sutton (UCFC, 1); GSMNP, Cades Cove, Abramd Crk., N35.35.35/W83.50.33, old field-gallery, elev. 1720’, 6-m Malaise trap, 8-10-VI-2004, Sutton, Steck, et al. (UCFC, 1). TEXAS: Bexar County: Northeast San Antonio, in McAllister City Park, 30-V-1962, S. J. Hanselmann (BYUC, 2); Collin County: Allen, 27-V-1978, J. K. Weaver (TAMU, 2); Comal County: 19-V-1948, D. J. & J. N. Knull (FMNH, 4); Denton County: Roanoke, 31-V-1951, P. D. Hurd (FSCA, 1); Duval County: 13mi s. Benavides, 10-V-1986, N. M. Downie (FMNH, 1); Fort Bend County: Brazos Bend State Park, 4-IV-2004, E. Riley & B. Raber (TAMU, 3); Gillespie County: 11-VI-1949, D. J. & J. N. Knull (FMNH, 13); Travis County: Austin, 170m, Malaise trap, 8-14-V-1990, C. R. Nelson (BYUC, 1).

Kentucky counties (Map 33): Bullitt (1), Fayette (3), Franklin (1), Jessamine (2), Madison (2), Owen (18), Scott (3). Kentucky specimens were collected in the central part of the state in the Interior Plateau ecoregion.

Years: 1959 (1), 1965 (1), 1971 (2), 1974 (2), 2007 (3), 2009 (19), 2010 (1), 2012 (1)

Months: May (2), June (14), July (8), August (6)

Collections (30): CEWC (3), JMLC (21), UKIC (6)

Collection methods: Malaise trap (24), blacklight (1), sweeping (3)

Natural History: Almost nothing has been published on the life history of this species. Knull (1951) reported to be abundant in old fields in southern Ohio. Mawdsley (2002) reported that it is common in tallgrass prairies in Kansas. Opitz (2002) reported that it can be collected by beating oaks ( Quercus ) and sweeping grasses.

Mimicry: Thought to be an ant mimic ( Mawdsley, 1994).

Comments: The authors have some doubt about the distinction between W. pedalis , W. sobrina , and Wolcottia specimens from central to southern Mexico ( Leavengood 2025), which will be investigated in future work.