Neohydnocera aegra ( Newman, 1840 )

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 : 48

Neohydnocera aegra ( Newman, 1840) ; Cleridae : Clerinae : Hydnocerini

Illustrations: Plate 3-D. Neohydnocera key, couplet 1-A

Distribution: Southeastern US from NC to FL to MS.

- Recorded from: AL, FL, GA, NC, SC and MS ( Wickham & Wolcott 1912; Corporaal 1950; Wheeler & Stocks 2009).

- New State Record: ALABAMA: Dania , 10-X-1937, A. T . McClay ( UCDC, 3) .

Natural History: Little is known about the larval habits of this rarely collected species. Wheeler & Stocks (2009) collected 182 adults among the native sand cordgrass ( Spartina bakeri ) and saltmeadow cordgrass ( S. patens ) and the introduced weeping lovegrass ( Eragrostis curvula ) in three southeastern states (FL, GA, SC). No larvae were found on these grasses. Two-thirds of their samples of N. aegra also had one or two species of Pseudomyrmex ( Formicidae ) which they resemble in both appearance and erratic antlike movement, leading them to conclude that it is either an ant mimic or minimally, a myrmecomorph whose resemblance to ants enhances this species’ survivorship. Cuda et al. (2007) collected adults from torpedograss ( Panicum repens ) at Lake Okeechobee but considered it rare in their samples.

Mimicry: Stocks (2009) concluded that N. aegra is a myrmecomorph, noting more study is needed to better demonstrate this mimicry.

Comments: Formerly assigned to the genus Isohydnocera ( Leavengood 2025) .