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Cleridae

Pronunciation:  [CLARE·i⋅dae]

Common Name:  Checkered Beetles

Description:  Checkered beetles have elongate, parallel-sided bodies that are distinctively covered in long, bristly hairs.   They are often brightly colored with patches of yellow, red, orange, or blue against a black body.   Some clerids are insect predators while others are scavengers or pollen feeders.

clerid03

Spot ID Key Characters:

  1. Elongate body covered with hair
  2. Base of elytra wider than pronotum
  3. Body often marked with patches of red, orange, yellow, or blue

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Order:  Coleoptera