Velvet Tracksuit (Checkered Beetle, Clerinae)

beetle colored orange-red turning to black on elytra with two beige stripes
A pretty checkered beetle on the fence.

These lovely beetles have crossed my path three or four times. They don’t usually stick around to pose for great shots, but this photo turned out pretty good if also more on the diagnostic than artistic side.

Now, I may be giving this critter a little more credit than deserved, but I’m pretty sure it’s mimicking a velvet ant (a kind of wingless wasp). After consulting BugGuide.net, I am confident that it is a checkered beetle (family Cleridae), and I have narrowed it down to subfamily Clerinae. I want to say it’s an Enoclerus sp., which has a few potential candidates, but genus Thanasimus also has a candidate. That is the limit of my current interest in ID’ing this beetle. :)

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One thought on “Velvet Tracksuit (Checkered Beetle, Clerinae)

  1. Hello I was bitten by what looks like this bug in Central Michigan. Have pic is it poisonous?
    It’s very small with alittle black head mostly red with 3 dots that look like a face and a white and black but.

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