Cregya oculata (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 : 34

Cregya oculata (Say, 1835) ; Cleridae : Korynetinae (no tribal assignment)

Illustrations: Plate 1-G. Key to clerid genera, couplet 6-F; Cregya key, couplet 1-A

Distribution: KS to TX to south FL to MA and ON.

- Recorded from: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MD, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV and Ontario ( Wolcott 1909, 1910, 1947; Wickham & Wolcott 1912; Bøving & Champlain 1920; Knull 1951; Papp 1960; Barr 1975; Gosling 1980; Opitz 2019; BugGuide).

Kentucky counties (Map 3): Fayette (2), Hopkins (4), Jefferson (4), Letcher (1), Madison (1), Meade (1), Owen (3), Wayne (1). Kentucky specimens were collected from localities scattered across the eastern 2/3 of the state.

Years: 1952 (1), 1954 (4), 1979 (1), 2009 (3), 2010 (4), 2012 (1), 2014 (1), 2015 (1), 2021 (1)

Months: April (1), June (9), July (2), August (5)

Collections (17): BugGuide (1), EGC-CRC (1), JMLC (8), UKIC (7)

Collection methods: Lindgren funnel trap (1), Malaise trap (9), blacklight (1)

Natural History: Opitz (2019) reported that adults have been collected from the foliage of burr oak ( Quercus macrocarpa ) and ash ( Fraxinus ) and from dead branches of common hackberry ( Celtis occidentalis ). Specimens from Trinity County, TX, were noted as being predatory on the southern pine beetle ( Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman ) ( Opitz 2019). Knull (1951) reported that C. oculata prey on the following wood boring beetles: scolytines and Pogonocherus Dejean ( Cerambycidae ) infesting dead pitch pine; scolytines and Leiopus (now Astyleiopus Lacordaire , Sternidius Haldeman and Urgleptes Lacordaire ( Cerambycidae )) infesting sumac ( Toxicodendron ); Leiopus infesting Virginia creeper ( Parthenocissus quinquefolia ); Euderces picipes (Fabricius) and Ecyrus dasycerus (Say) ( Cerambycidae ) infesting chestnut ( Castanea ).