Beetles of North Carolina
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sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Sarosesthes fulminans
checklist_number: 121002058001.00		......Larvae feed primarily on Oak, Chestnut, and Walnut (Lingafelter, 2007).........
Pidonia vibex
checklist_number: 121004027004.00		The key characters given for P. ruficollis by Lingafelter (2007) still apply but all specimens with pale stripes on the elytra are now considered to belong to (Androw, 2017, in Bu...............
Parandra polita
checklist_number: 121005002001.00		......Larvae feed on the decaying heartwood of Hickory, Tuliptree, and Beech (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)...Adults are attracted to UV lights...S2S4[GNR]...
Cicindela ancocisconensis
Appalachian Tiger Beetle
checklist_number: 6006004047.00		One of 38 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Pearson et al., 2015), 12 of which have been recorded in North Carolina...This species primarily inhabits shady, sandy or silty margins of mountain streams and rivers (Knisley and Schultz, 1987). Larval burrows have been found in dry sand or silt deposits located 1-5 meters...Predacious, presumably feeding primarily on a wide variety of small, riparian insects and other arthropods...Adults are well camouflaged on their wet sand and silt habitats but are quite active during the day, when their movements make them easy to spot...This species is listed as Significantly Rare by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, which gives it some value in identifying priority natural areas for conservation but does not give it any sort of legal protection. Nor is protection provided by either the Federal or State Endangered Species Acts. While all species are eligible for federal protection, the populations of this species are still considered relatively secure at the national level, and in the case of North Carolina endangered species protection, no insects even qualify for statewide protection no matter how endangered they might be within the state. This is markedly different from the case of vertebrates, molluscs, or crustaceans, all of which may receive protection from hunting, collection, or other forms of exploitation depending on their state conservation status. Individual state agencies -- such as the Division of Parks and Recreation and Wildlife Resources Commission -- can nonetheless require permits for collecting insects on lands they own or manage. The same is true for other types of nature preserves.S1S2G3SRThis is a globally uncommon species that has declined significantly in some parts of its range and appears to be continuing to decline (NatureServe Explorer, 2018). We currently know of only six recor...
Typocerus velutinus
checklist_number: 121004038009.00		......Larvae feed on various species of decaying hardwoods, including Birch, Poplar, Oak, and Hickory (Lingafelter, 2007). Adults are attracted to many species of wildflowers..........
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Strangalia bicolor
checklist_number: 121004034002.00		......Larvae feed on Maples and Oaks (Lingafelter, 2007). Adults are attracted to many species of wildflowers..........
Acmaeops discoideus
checklist_number: 121004001001.00		...Our one record comes from a mixed stand of hardwoods and pines in the Piedmont....Larvae feed on Pines (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......SHS1GNR...
Arhopalus rusticus
checklist_number: 121001001002.00		...Our few records come from the low mountains and western Piedmont, in areas where White Pine is the most common species of conifer. However, it is not limited to feeding on that species....Larvae feed on the roots and bases of Pine species, including dead pines (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007). This species has become a pest in areas such as Australia and South America where it has bee......S2S3GNR...
Stenelytrana emarginata
checklist_number: 121004030001.00		...Most of our records seem to come from floodplains or the vicinity. However, we have at least one from the summit of a monadnock....Larvae feed on decaying hardwoods, with Elm, Beech, Tuliptree, Gum, Chestnut, and Maple specifically listed (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S3S4GNR...
Necydalis mellita
checklist_number: 121004025001.00		...Our records come mainly from stands of upland hardwoods, but including possibly both mesic and dry-xeric habitats....Larvae feed on the soft, dead heartwood of Oak, Chestnut, and rarely Pine (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007).......S3S4GNR...
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Brachyleptura circumdata
checklist_number: 121004008001.00		...Our records come mainly from the Mountains but include sites at lower elevations than where Spruce occurs. The habitats may primarily represent cove forests, with Hemlocks and White Pines both possibl...Larvae feed on Spruce and possibly Pines (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S2S3GNR...
Bellamira scalaris
checklist_number: 121004007001.00		...Most of our records come from upland habitats....Larvae feed on decaying hardwoods and pines (Yanega, 1996). Lingafelter (2007) specifically lists g Poplar, Hickory, Willow, Maple, Tuliptree, and Birch. Adults visit flowers of various species....Comes to blacklights but adults are also active diurnally and can be found on flowers....S3S4G5...
Anthophylax hoffmanii
checklist_number: 121004005003.00		...Lingafelter (2007) describes this as a highly localized species, known from high elevation habitats in the Southern Appalachians. Our one record comes from Mt. Mitchell....Larvae probably feed on Fraser Fir and possibly Red Spruce (Lingafelter, 2007)......[SR]SHGNRThis species is known in North Carolina only from a single record dating to 1924. It appears to be a narrowly distributed species occurring in high elevation conifer forests of the Southern Appalachia...
Anthophylax cyaneus
checklist_number: 121004005002.00		...Our one record comes from along the Blue Ridge Parkway, with cove forests the likely habitat....Larvae feed on various hardwood (Yanega, 1996). Lingafelter (2007) specifically lists Maple, Birch, Serviceberry, Chestnut, and Beech; some conifers may also be used and Acer spicatum may be a preferr......S1S2G5...
Anthophylax attenuatus
checklist_number: 121004005001.00		...Our one records from a known site comes from a stand of high-elevation hardwood forest....Larvae feed on moist decaying hardwoods, including Maple, Beech, Hop-hornbeam, and Poplar (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007).......S1S2G5This is a primarily northern species whose populations in the North Carolina mountains may represent Pleistocene relicts....
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Analeptura lineola
checklist_number: 121004003001.00		...This species may be primarily associated with wet-mesic stands of hardwoods but not enough information exists on the habitats where this species has been collected in the state....Larvae feed on various hardwoods, including Birch, Ironwood, Hop-hornbeam, and Pines (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007). Adults visit many species of flowers.......S4S5G5...
Ecyrus dasycerus
checklist_number: 121003014001.00		...Our records appear to come mainly from upland habitats, including Dry-xeric Maritime Forests, Monadnock Forests, and other stands of upland oak-hickory forests. ...Larvae feed on a wide range of tree species, especially Oaks and Hackberries (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S3S4GNR...
Saperda tridentata
checklist_number: 121003040012.00		...Habitat information is largely missing from the available records from North Carolina. One semi-naturally wooded residential area in the Piedmont has two records, with Ulmus alata probably the closest...Larvae feed on dead and dying Elms (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S3S4G5...
Aegomorphus modestus
checklist_number: 121003003001.00		...Our records come from a wide range of habitats, from low mountains and monadnocks (e.g., Pilot Mountain) to Coastal Plain lowland forests and woodlands (e.g., Lake Waccamaw State Park). Semi-natural, ...Larvae feed on a broad range of soft decaying hardwoods and pines (Yanega, 1996). The following trees are specifically mentioned by Lingafelter (2007): Birch, Hickory, Chestnut, Beech, Ash, and Pinus.......S4S5G5...
Phausis reticulata
Blue Ghost
checklist_number: 62001008007.00		...............
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Graphisurus despectus
checklist_number: 121003018001.00		Head and body gray or light reddish brown with a coating of suberect hairs on the elytra (Lingafelter, 2007). Less mottled than Graphisurus fasciatus and lacks the large patches of black found ......Polyphagous on hardwood trees, with a preference for Hickories (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007).........
Graphisurus fasciatus
checklist_number: 121003018002.00		......Larvae are polyphagous on hardwood trees, including oaks; also on Pines (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007).........
Tetraopes melanurus
checklist_number: 121003046001.00		............S2S4GNR...
Tetraopes tetrophthalmus
checklist_number: 121003046004.00		............S4S5G5...
Monochamus notatus
Northeastern Sawyer
checklist_number: 121003029003.00		Sawyers are large beetles with very long antennae. Monochamus notatus is grayish brown with relatively obscure mottling; patches of white on the elytra are restricted to the anterior and posterior thi......Larvae feed on dead and dying conifers, especially Pines (Yanega, 1996)......S4S5G5...
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Cicindela hirticollis
Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle
checklist_number: 6006004020.00		One of 38 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Pearson et al., 2015), 12 of which have been recorded in North CarolinaMost individuals possess three complete maculations. However, variation in the thickness and/or completeness of these markings often occurs among individuals within a population, as illustrated by som...Most of our records come from beaches on barrier islands or other tidewater shorelines. Knisley and Schultz (1997) also list the shorelines of large rivers and lakes. In all these cases, wet sands app...Predacious, presumably feeding on a wide variety of small insects and other beach invertebrates...This species is well-camouflaged against wet-sand substrates, but is often found in large numbers where movements of masses of individuals make them conspicuous (Knisley and Schultz, 1997)....As with other North Carolina insects, no state laws provide them any protection. Permits must be obtained, however, to collect them in State Parks and other nature preserves[S2S3]G5T4[W3]This species often co-occurs with Habroscelimorpha dorsalis and like that species appears to be declining due to barrier shoreline development and to trampling of larval habitat due to intensive recre...
Heterachthes quadrimaculatus
checklist_number: 121002027002.00		......Larvae feed on Hickories and occasionally Tuliptree (Yanega, 1996)......S3S4GNR...
Monochamus carolinensis
Carolina Pine Sawyer
checklist_number: 121003029001.00		Sawyers are large beetles with very long antennae. Monochamus carolinensis is reddish-brown with distinct pale dorsal stripes on the pronotum (Yanega, 1996). The elytra are mottled with pale and dark ......Larvae feed on dead and dying pines (Yanega, 1966; Lingafelter, 2007)......S4S5GNR...
Monochamus titillator
Southern Pine Sawyer
checklist_number: 121003029005.00		Sawyers are large beetles with very long antennae. Monochamus titillator has a reddish integument that is largely overlain on the elytra with a mottled pattern consisting of whitish, yellowish, and bl...............
Neandra brunnea
checklist_number: 121005001001.00		...We have records from both natural forests as well as residential neighborhoods....Larvae feed on moist, decaying heartwood (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007). This includes logs lying in contact with the soil and also wood structures such as poles. They also feed on heartwood in liv...Comes to lights, including blacklights...S5G5...
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Scaphinus muticus
checklist_number: 121007001001.00		...Our records all come from the Coastal Plain, including sites dominated by Longleaf Pine and by Loblolly Pine....Larvae feed on pines (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S3S4[GNR]...
Sphenostethus taslei
checklist_number: 121006007001.00		......Larvae feed on dry snags of various hardwoods, including oak, chestnut, beech, and redbud (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S2S3[GNR]...
Prionus pocularis
checklist_number: 121006006006.00		......Larvae feed on dead pine logs and stumps (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S4S5GNR...
Prionus laticollis
checklist_number: 121006006004.00		......Larvae feed on the roots of various trees and shrubs (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S4S5GNR...
Prionus imbricornis
checklist_number: 121006006003.00		............S5GNR...
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Mallodon dasystomus
checklist_number: 121006004001.00		......Larvae feed on the live heartwood of many species of hardwood trees; also stumps and structural wood (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......S4S5[GNR]...
Orthosoma brunneum
checklist_number: 121006005001.00		......Larvae feed on moist, decaying wood, including both hardwoods and conifers (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)...Comes to lights, including blacklight...S5G5...
Dryobius sexnotatus
Six-banded Longhorn Beetle
checklist_number: 121002019001.00		...Our records do not come from areas where Sugar Maple is native. In the Piedmont, the likely host may be Beech. No information is available about the habitat in Brunswick County, but the location is at...Larvae are polyphagous, reported on Maple, Elm, Beech, and Basswood; Sugar Maple may be the primary host (Lingafelter, 2007)......[W3]S1S3GNRConsidered rare by Lingafelter (2007) and uncommon by Yanega (1996)...
Anelaphus villosus
checklist_number: 121002006007.00		...North Carolina records come from a wide range of forested and shrubby habitats, including coastal fringe and inland sandridges, non-riverine swamp forests, mesic slopes, and dry ridges....Larvae are twig pruners, feeding on the live twigs of many species of hardwood trees and shrubs (Yanega, 1996). Lingafelter (2007) notes that Oaks are favored but they also feed on Hawthorns, Sugarber......S4S5G5...
Anelaphus pumilus
checklist_number: 121002006006.00		...North Carolina records come from a range of hardwood-containing habitats, including maritime forests and river bluffs...Larvae feed on several species of hardwood trees, including Oaks, Chestnuts, Hickories, Elms, and Basswood (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007).......S3S4GNR...
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Anelaphus moestus
checklist_number: 121002006003.00		......Larvae feed on Oaks, Walnuts, Hackberries, and Sumacs (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007). Feeding occurs under bark and in the sapwood of dead trees.......SU[GNR]...
Asemum striatum
checklist_number: 121001002002.00		...Our records come from sites where various species of Pines are present, including Loblolly as well as Shortleaf and Scrub Pines....Larvae feed on recently dead conifers, especially pines but also including fir and spruce (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007). Standing snags, stumps, and logs are all used.......S4S5G5...
Aneflomorpha subpubescens
checklist_number: 121002005002.00		......Larvae feed on live saplings of Oaks and Chestnuts (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)......SU[GNR]...
Ancylocera bicolor
checklist_number: 121002004001.00		...We have a number of records from the Sandhills where dry-xeric stands of oak-hickory forests are common. Habitats used in the Piedmont are undescribed....Larvae feed on Oaks and Hickories (also on Acacia farnesiana, a Southwestern species) (Yanega 1996; Lingafelter, 2007).......S3S4[GNR]...
Atimia confusa
Small Cedar Borer
checklist_number: 121001003001.00		......Larvae feed under the bark of members of the Cupressaceae, which in North Carolina include Juniperus, Taxodium, and Chamaecyparis (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007).......SUGNR...
sciNametaxonomic_commentsid_commentshabitatdietobservation_methodsstate_protectionS_rankG_rankstate_statusfed_statusstatus_comments
Elytrimitatrix undata
checklist_number: 120001001001.00		...Our records come primarily from stands of mesic hardwoods, including in the Coastal Plain. Occurs in natural stands as well as semi-wooded residential neighborhoods....Larvae feed on various hardwoods, including Redbud; also on pines (Yanega, 1996; Lingafelter, 2007)...Comes to lights, including blacklights. Also collected using Lindgren funnels and Malaise traps....S4S5GNR...
Cicindela purpurea
Cow Path Tiger Beetle
checklist_number: 6006004029.00		One of 38 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Pearson et al., 2015), 12 of which have been recorded in North Carolina...Cicindela purpurea is associated with open, montane, upland habitats with patches of bare ground. Those include natural openings in forests and mountain meadows, as well as powerlines, roadsides, and ...Predacious, presumably feeding on a wide variety of small insects and other arthropods...Easily flushed but often seeking refuge in grass or other herbaceous vegetation (Pearson et al., 2015)...As with other North Carolina insects, no state laws provide them any protection. Permits must be obtained, however, to collect them in State Parks and other nature preserves[S3S4]G5T5We have few records for this species but its use of widespread, common, and in some cases human-created habitats suggests that it may be secure within the state. ...
Photinus pyralis
checklist_number: 62001010027.00		Pale pygidium, pale trailing edge to segment 5, and round black spot on pronotum...............
Ellipsoptera lepida
Ghost Tiger Beetle
checklist_number: 6006007115.00		One of thirteen species in this genus, all of which occur in North America north of Mexico with a few also extending southward (Pearson et al., 2015); four have been recorded in North Carolina....This species is restricted to deep loose sands associated with actively accreting or drifting sand dunes with minimal vegetation. Our records come from two such sites located on a barrier island where...Predacious, presumably feeding on a wide variety of small insects and other arthropods...This species is highly camouflaged and often relies on remaining still to avoid detection rather than running or flying to escape (Knisley and Schultz, 1997). It active to some extent during the day b...This species is listed as Significantly Rare by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, which gives it some value in identifying priority natural areas for conservation but does not give it any sort of legal protection. Nor is protection provided by either the Federal or State Endangered Species Acts. While all species are eligible for federal protection, the populations of this species are still considered relatively secure at the national level, and in the case of North Carolina endangered species protection, no insects even qualify for statewide protection no matter how endangered they might be within the state. This is markedly different from the case of vertebrates, molluscs, or crustaceans, all of which may receive protection from hunting, collection, or other forms of exploitation depending on their state conservation status. Individual state agencies -- such as the Division of Parks and Recreation and Wildlife Resources Commission -- can nonetheless require permits for collecting insects on lands they own or manage. The same is true for other types of nature preserves.S1G3G4SRThis species is uncommon to rare throughout its range (G3G4) and is known in North Carolina from only two nearby sites. It is definitely a resident species rather than a transient, however, based on o...
Trechus luculentus luculentus
checklist_number: 6011010036.10		One of 82 species in this genus that have been recorded in North America north of Mexico, 42 of which occur in North Carolina (Bosquet, 2012). Trechus luculentus belongs to subgenus Microtrechus and is included in the Nebulosus Species Group by Bosquet (2012). In addition to luculentus, 21 other species are included in this group, 18 of which occur in North Carolina and the rest in Tennessee.Members of this genus show too little variation in pattern for standard photographs to be used to identify particular species....Although originally found at one of the highest elevations in North Carolina, Barr (1979) subsequently found it as low as 2,200', providing substantial connections between subpopulations throughout th...Predatory on small insects and other invertebrates......[S1S2]GHTH [G23T23][SR]This subspecies is endemic to the Great Smoky Mountains but occurs at a number of locations and elevations within the National Park. Consequently, it is probably less vulnerable to climate change than...