Thanerocleridae, Chapin, 1924

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 : 19

Key to the Species of Thanerocleridae of eastern North America

1. Pronotum brown, elytra bright red to orange (B); forecoxal cavities open behind—apex of proepimeron (A—left arrow) not reaching procoxal process (A—right arrow)........................................ Zenodosus sanguineus (Say)

1’. Dorsal color entirely reddish brown to brown with very little contrast between pronotum and elytra (C, D); forecoxal cavities closed behind (see key to clerid genera, couplet 19-B)........................................................ 2

2(1’). Small (body length 1.8 – 2.6 mm); pronotum with sides subparallel in apical half, broadly rounded posteriorly (A) with lateral margins subtly serrate basally (A—arrows)............................................ Ababa tantilla (LeConte)

2’. Larger (body length 4.7 – 6.5 mm); pronotum more rounded, narrowing anteriorly as well as posteriorly (B), lateral margin near base not serrate (B)......................................................... Thaneroclerus buquet (Lefèbvre)