Phyllobaenus pallipennis (Say, 1825)

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 : 55-57

Phyllobaenus pallipennis (Say, 1825) ; Cleridae : Clerinae : Hydnocerini

Illustrations: Plate 4-E. Phyllobaenus key, couplet 1-D, couplet 3-C, couplet 5-D

Distribution: Northern FL to NB to WI to UT to TX.

- Recorded from: AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,

Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec ( Wolcott 1909, 1947; Wickham & Wolcott 1912; Knull 1951; Papp 1960; Barr 1975; Gosling 1980; Majka 2006; Steury & Leavengood 2018; Lawhorn et al. 2023).

- New State Records: ARKANSAS: Pulaski County: Little Rock, Camp Robinson , flight intercept trap, 31-VII-2002, B. Baldwin ( UAAM, 1) ; Washington County : 1-VII-1965, R. L. Brown ( UAAM, 1) . CONNECTICUT: New Haven County: Wharton Brook State Park, Wallingford , 2-VIII-1950, S. I. Parfin ( FSCA, 1) . DELAWARE: New Castle County: Wilmington , 10-VIII-1967, D. W. Brzoska ( SEMC, 2) . GEORGIA: Charlton County: Spanish Creek Road at Hwy. 121, 21-V-1988, R. Turnbow ( FSCA, 1); Clarke County : Whitehall Forest , 16- 19-V-1978, R. Turnbow ( RHTC, 1); Whitehall Forest , Malaise trap, 1-10-VII-1978, R. Turnbow ( FSCA, 1); Dawson County : Hwy 53 at Padgett Road, 24-VII-2005, R. Turnbow ( RHTC, 1); Glynn County : Jekyll Island , St. Andrew’s Beach , UV light in open sand dune/scrub interface, 21-VI-2001, R. A. Androw ( RAAC, 1); Jackson County : Hardeman Forest , 19-VII-1975, 22-VII-1975, R. Turnbow ( FSCA, 2); Lamar County : 14-VI-1985, R. Morris ( RFMC, 1); B’ville, Howard Road ex. Sante trap, VI-X-2001, R. Morris ( RFMC, 2); Lowndes County : 1 mi W Valdosta, 22-V-1988, R. Turnbow ( RHTC, 1); White County : Chattahoochee WMA, 11-VII-1987, R. Turnbow ( RHTC, 3) . MARYLAND: Anne Arundel County: Patuxent Research Refuge, 1 mile northeast of Snowden Cemetery , 23-VIII-1997, S. M. Clark ( BYUC, 1); Frederick County : South Mountain , 20-IV-1916, H. L. Parker ( FSCA, 1); Frederick / Washington County: South Mountains , near Myersville , 25- IX, H. L. Parker ( FSCA, 9); Howard County: Sykesville , Underwd Rd. , 7-VIII-1988, E. J. Gerberg ( FSCA, 2); Montgomery County : Plummer’s Island , 8-20-VII-1968, Paul J. Spangler ( FSCA, 4); Plummer’s Island , 22-X-1960, P. J. Spangler ( FSCA, 9); Prince George’s County : College Park, 30-VI-1949 ( FSCA, 1); College Park, 13-VIII-1972, 26-VIII-1972, 1-IX-1967, 3-IX-1967, H. L. Dozier ( FSCA, 7); Greenbelt, 29-VI-1951, B. K. Dozier ( FSCA, 1); Beltsville, 27-VI-1954, B. K. Dozier ( FSCA, 2) . NORTH DAKOTA: McKenzie County: Theodore Roos. M. Park , 21-VII-1965, L. Grochowski ( NMNH, 1) . SOUTH DAKOTA: Yankton County: Yankton , 30-VI-1960, J. Edman ( LACM, 1) . TENNESSEE: Natchez Trace St Pk , 25-VIII-1966, R. & A. Graves ( CMNH, 1) . UTAH: San Juan County : San Juan River, near Bluff , elev. 4300 ft., 13-VIII-2010, S. M. Clark ( BYUC, 2); Uintah County: Willow Creek Road, 20-V-2015, S. M. Clark & E. G. Riley ( BYUC, 2) . VERMONT: Chittenden County : Essex, 24-VII-2005, 10-VIII-2005, 12-VIII-2005, GR Nelson ( CMNH, 3) . WEST VIRGINIA: Hardy County: Lost River St. Pk., 29-VII-11-VIII-1957, K. V. Krombein ( NMNH, 1); Greenbriar County : West Sulphur , 11-VII-1911, W. Robinson ( NMNH, 1); Pocahontas County : Monongahela Nat. Forest , 3 mi SSE Dilleys Mill, Malaise trap, 22-28-VII-1997, J. Strazanak ( RAAC, 1) .

Kentucky counties (Map 25): Bath (1), Breathitt (1), Madison (3), Mercer (1), Morgan (2). Kentucky specimens were collected from a few scattered localities in the eastern half of the state.

Years: 1971 (2), 1972 (1), 1976 (1), 2013 (2), 2014 (1), 2021 (1)

Months: July (2), August (5), September (1)

Collections (8): CEWC (1), JMLC (2), UKIC (5)

Collection methods: Lindgren funnel trap (1), Malaise trap (2), blacklight (1), fogging (2)

Natural History: Pierce (1912) reported frequently finding the larvae hibernating in boll weevil ( Anthonomus grandis Boheman ) cells or in cocoons of the boll weevil parasitoid Microbracon mellitor (Say) in Texas. Chapin (1917b) associated it with American sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis ) and Plant butternut ( Juglans cinerea ). Chapin (1948) reported that this species feeds on aphids on the foliage of gray birch ( Betula populifolia ) in Massachusetts and can be collected in numbers when the aphids are present, but rarely from other trees in the area. Knull (1951) reported that it can be abundant on oak ( Quercus ) leaves in Delaware. Pulaski (1979), who described the immature stages, found numerous adults on sweet fern ( Comptonia peregrina ) and observed that adults would oviposit in the cracks and crevices of sweet fern bark in the lab and that the larvae could be collected in soil from the bases of these ferns in spring and fall, perhaps to overwinter. Gosling (1980) reported beating it from the dead branches of sumac ( Rhus ) and oak and at UV lights in Michigan. Trieff (2002) collected 14 adults from northern red oak ( Qurecus rubra ) in Tennessee. Mawdsley (2002b) reported that the larvae inhabit the limbs and trunks of hickory ( Carya ) and oak ( Quercus ) (infestations not noted). Leavengood (2008b) reported specimens collected with Malaise and sticky traps in slash pine ( Pinus elliottii ) in Florida. Dorshorst & Young (2008) reported the following plant associations from label data: American elm ( Ulmus americana ). black ash ( Fraxinus nigra ), black cherry ( Prunus serotina ), butternut ( Juglans cineracea ), red ( Acer rubrum ) and sugar ( A. saccharum ) maples, burr ( Quercus macrocarpa ) northern pin ( Q. ellipsoidalis ), red ( Q. rubra ), white ( Q. alba ) oaks, and white birch ( Betula papyrifera ). They reported that it was most frequently collected in oak habitats (barrens, forests, savannas) with Malaise and flight intercept traps and by beating oak branches. Campbell et al. (2018) collected adults more commonly at burned over unburned sites in the southern Appalachians.

Chemical lures: Ethanol (Montgommery & Wargo 1983)

Comments: Phyllobaenus suturalis (Klug) was designated as a junior synonym of P. pallipennis ( Leavengood 2025) .