Cymatodera inornata (Say, 1835)

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 : 35-36

Cymatodera inornata (Say, 1835) ; Cleridae : Tillinae (no tribal assignment)

Illustrations: Plate 1-K. Key to clerid genera, couplet 23-F, H, couplet 24-A; Cymatodera key, couplet 1-D

Distribution: FL to PQ to ND to UT to TX and into Mexico.

- Recorded from: AL, AR, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, IN, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WV, WI, Ontario, Quebec and Mexico

( Wolcott 1909, 1921, 1947; Papp 1960; Barr 1975; Peck & Thomas 1998; Sikes 2003; Burke et al. 2015; BugGuide).

- New State Record: VERMONT: Norwich , 11-VI-1987, G. R . Nielsen ( CMNH, 1) .

Kentucky counties (Map 5): Caldwell (1), Crittenden (1), Fayette (2), Franklin (2), Hopkins (1), Jessamine (1), Madison (6), Owen (1), Rowan (2). Kentucky specimens were mostly collected from the north-central and western part of the Interior Plateau and Interior River Valleys and Hills ecoregions.

Years: 1974 (1), 1999 (1), 2005 (3), 2009 (1), 2010 (5), 2013 (1), 2015 (1), 2016 (3), 2021 (1)

Months: May (5), June (8), July (4)

Collections (17): CEWC (5), EGC-CRC (4), JMLC (6), UKIC (2)

Collection methods: Lindgren funnel trap (1), Malaise trap (7), blacklight (4)

Natural History: Bøving & Champlain (1920) noted that it has been reared from (1) dead, dry hickory branches with a “ Bostrychus bicornus ” ( Lichenophanes bicornis (Weber)) infestation, (2) dead, standing birch infested with the larvae of Melasis ( Eucnemidae ) and Buprestidae , and (3) beech, hackberry and oak whose infestations were not recorded. Knull (1951) added that a pupa was found in anobiid (now Ptinidae ) infested beech slash in Ohio. Nocturnal—attracted to lights. Dorshorst & Young (2008) collected it with flight intercept, Lindgren funnel, and Malaise traps.

Chemical lures: Leavengood (2008b) reported collections via Lindgren funnel traps baited with ethanol or turpentine + ethanol or alpha-beta pinene from label data, but the attractiveness of these lures to C. inornata has yet to be tested. Based on collecting several specimens with cantharidin-baited traps, Dorshorst & Young (2008) speculated that cantharidin is an attractant.

Comments: Burke et al.’s (2015) distribution listed “ VI ” which we presume to be Virginia. Older literature records of this species included Arizona. But this was corrected in Burke et al. (2015) .