Cymatodera bicolor (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 : 35

Cymatodera bicolor (Say, 1825) ; Cleridae : Tillinae (no tribal assignment)

Illustrations: Plate 1-I. Key to clerid genera, couplet 24-D; Cymatodera key, couplet 1-C

Distribution: AZ* to FL to NS to ND.

- Recorded from: AL, AR, AZ, CT, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, NY, NJ, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WY, WV, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec ( Wolcott 1909; Bøving & Champlain 1920; Wolcott 1921, 1947; Knull 1951; Papp 1960; Barr 1975; Peck & Thomas 1998; Shockley and Cline 2004; Majka 2006). *Literature records of this species from Arizona and New Mexico are herein considered questionable.

- New State Records: KENTUCKY: Bullitt County, Bernheim Forest, 37.506, -85.622, Malaise trap, 26-31-V-1976, 1-6-VI-1976, 10-15-VI-1976, P. H. Freytag ( UKIC, 3); Franklin County , 65 Springhill Road, in home, 38.1878, -84.8645, 10-V-2003, 12-V-2014, C. E. Wright ( CEWC, 2); Human Resources grounds, on Acer sp. 38.1972, -84.8636, 19-VI-2001, C. E. Wright ( CEWC, 1); Fayette County , Lexington: Malaise trap, 6-17-VI-2016, M. J. Sharkey ( JMLC, 1); 22-IV-1946, 22-V-1947, 8-V-1950, L. H. Townsend ( UKIC, 3); 14-V-1957 ( UKIC, 1); Jefferson County : Anchorage, 15-VI-1953, B.L. Monroe ( UKIC, 1); Jeffersontown, 10-X-1970, R. L. Dye ( UKIC, 1); Jessamine County , Malaise trap, 20-25-VI-1974, P. H. Freytag, ( UKIC, 1); Hopkins County , Thomas Farm, Malaise trap, 37.339, -87.688, J. M. Leavengood, Jr., M. J. Sharkey, S. Clutts ( JMLC, 1); Kenton County : Independence, 4086 Richardson Rd, dying Box elder, at night, 25-VI-1999, R. F. C. Naczi ( RNC, 1); Owen County , Herndon Farm, Malaise trap, 38.558, -84.994, 5-15-VI-2006, A. Boring, S. Clutts, D. Yu, M. J. Sharkey, J. M Leavengood, Jr. ( JMLC, 1); Madison County , Berea, Lindgren funnel trap, 18-V-2021, 25-V-2021, K. Lawhorn ( UKIC, 2); Mercer County , Malaise trap, 8-11-VI-1976 ( UKIC, 1) ; VERMONT: Chittenden County : Essex, 25-VI-2006, 23-VII-2005, 12-VIII-2005, G. R. Nielson ( CMNH, 3); Hinesburg, 20-VII-1996, 6-VIII-1996, G. R. Nielson ( CMNH, 2) .

Kentucky counties (Map 4): Bullitt (3), Fayette (5), Franklin (2), Hopkins (1), Jefferson (2), Jessamine (1), Madison (2), Mercer (1), Owen (1). Most Kentucky specimens were collected in the north-central part of the state ( Interior Plateau ecoregion).

Years: 1946 (1), 1947 (1), 1950 (1), 1953 (1), 1957 (1), 1970 (1), 1974 (1), 1976 (1), 2001 (1), 2003 (1), 2009 (1), 2010 (1), 2014 (1), 2016 (2), 2021 (2)

Months: April (1), May (7), June (8), October (1)

Collections (17): CEWC (3), JMLC (4), UKIC (10)

Collection methods: Lindgren funnel trap (2), Malaise trap (6)

Natural History: Larvae prey on Cyrtophorus verrucosus (Olivier) ( Cerambycidae ) and other wood-boring beetles in dry dogwood ( Cornus florida ) and spice bush ( Lindera benzoin ) ( Bøving & Champlain 1920), who noted that the larvae are found in its hosts’ mines/galleries. Knull (1934) noted that larvae feed on immatures of the cerambycids Encyclops caerulea (Say) and Microclytus gazellula (Haldeman) in living hickory. Knull (1951) added that larvae prey on Phloeosinus ( Curculionidae ) infesting juniper, Trichodesma ( Ptinidae ) infesting dead birch ( Betula ), and a pupa was found in sycamore ( Platanus ) infested with Ptilinus ruficornis Say ( Ptinidae ). Nocturnal—attracted to lights. Dorshorst & Young (2008) collected it with flight intercept, Lindgren funnel, Malaise, cantharidin-baited jar and blacklight traps.

Chemical lures: Ethanol (Montgommery & Wargo 1983); Leavengood (2008b) reported collections via Lindgren funnel traps baited with ethanol or turpentine + frontalin from label data, but the attractiveness of these lures to C. bicolor has yet to be tested. Dorshorst & Young (2008) collected many adults with cantharidin-baited jar traps in deciduous forests in Wisconsin who observed specimens flying to and landing directly on the cantharidin baits.