Pelonium leucophaeum (Klug, 1842)

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 : 52

Pelonium leucophaeum (Klug, 1842) ; Cleridae : Korynetinae (no tribal assignment)

Illustrations: Plate 3-K. Key to clerid genera, couplet 2-D, couplet 7-A, D

Distribution: South FL to NY to KS to TX.

- Recorded from: AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, and Quebec ( Wolcott 1909, 1910 b, 1947; Knull 1951; Papp 1960; Gosling 1980; Barr 1975; Opitz 2018a). Opitz (2018a) includes a single dubious record from Arizona. Literature records from Mexico (i.e., Lower California; Wolcott, 1947) are likely misidentifications of P. peninsulare (Schaeffer) .

- New State Records: DELAWARE: Kent County : 0.5 mi N of Dinahs Corner, 39°11’29”N, 75°38’50”W, at incandescent light, 7-VIII-2001, R . F. C. Naczi ( RNC, 1) . KENTUCKY: Fayette County: Lexington: 1714 Yorktown Road , Lindgren funnel trap over freshly milled Juniperus virginiana , 2-9-VI-2024, Julian R Dupuis ( UKIC, 3); Logan County: Russellville Best Western , blacklight, 27-V-2006, Charles Wright ( CEWC, 1); Madison County : Berea Experimental Forest , Pinnacle Peaks, 37° 33.26’ N 84° 14.446’ W, 29-V-10, Eric G Chapman ( EGC-CRC, 1); Wayne County : Wolf Creek Lake , 26-VI-52, BL, Monroe ( UKIC, 1) .

Kentucky counties (Map 23): Fayette (3), Jefferson (1), Logan (1), Madison (1), Warren (1), Wayne (1). Kentucky specimens were collected in the Interior Plateau ecoregion.

Years: 1952 (1), 2006 (1), 2010 (1), 2012 (1), 2020 (1), 2024 (3)

Months: May (2), June (6)

Collections (8): BugGuide (1), CEWC (1), EGC-CRC (1), UKIC (4), iNat (1)

Collection methods: Lindgren funnel trap (3), blacklight (1)

Natural History: Wolcott (1910b) reported collecting it from poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans ). Bøving & Champlain (1920) reported it as being reared from cypress ( Taxodium ) infested with cerambycid larvae and that an adult was collected flying around cerambycid- and scolytine-infested cut juniper ( Juniperus ) branches. Congruent with the latter, author JRD collected three adults with a Malaise trap hung over freshly cut eastern red cedar ( Juniperus virginiana ; see label data above). Leavengood (2008b) reported the following from label data of Florida specimens: adults have been collected from elderberry ( Sambucus canadensis ) and orange ( Citrus aurantium ), reared from bald cypress ( Taxodium distichum ), and have been collected with Malaise, Steiner, Medfly, and suction traps, and UV lights.