Cedar beetles of the cedar beetle or cicada parasite Rhipiceridae family are indigenous to different parts of North America.
Size: 2 – 5 mm (0.08 – 0.20 inches)
Color: They have a reddish-black or entirely black body and an orange abdomen, concealed by their wing covers.
Other Characteristic Features: They have a long, narrow head with a prominent antenna, mostly in males. Their prothorax is narrow, closely resembling a triangle. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the males being a degree smaller than their female counterparts. Their abdomen is mostly hidden and seen when these beetles go on to spread their wings.
They parasitize the cicada larva and go searching for the grubs underground after hatching from the eggs.
The details about the pupal stage remain unknown.
The eggs are small and round, laid on trunks of trees.
| Other Names | Cicada parasite beetle |
| Adult lifespan | Not recorded (but known to be short-lived) |
| Duration of larval stage | Not recorded |
| Distribution | Throughout North America |
| Habitat | Woodlands, forests, and every other region of their host plants |
| Common Predators | Flies, wasps |
| Seasons active from | March – September |
| Host Plants | Mostly elm |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Larvae: Larvae of cicada Adults : Not known since they live for a short span |
Though they mostly occupy branches of elm trees, not much is known about the damage they cause.
Image Source: objects.liquidweb.services, cdn.whatsthatbug.com, static.inaturalist.org, bugguide.net
Cedar beetles of the cedar beetle or cicada parasite Rhipiceridae family are indigenous to different parts of North America.
Size: 2 – 5 mm (0.08 – 0.20 inches)
Color: They have a reddish-black or entirely black body and an orange abdomen, concealed by their wing covers.
Other Characteristic Features: They have a long, narrow head with a prominent antenna, mostly in males. Their prothorax is narrow, closely resembling a triangle. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the males being a degree smaller than their female counterparts. Their abdomen is mostly hidden and seen when these beetles go on to spread their wings.
They parasitize the cicada larva and go searching for the grubs underground after hatching from the eggs.
The details about the pupal stage remain unknown.
The eggs are small and round, laid on trunks of trees.
| Other Names | Cicada parasite beetle |
| Adult lifespan | Not recorded (but known to be short-lived) |
| Duration of larval stage | Not recorded |
| Distribution | Throughout North America |
| Habitat | Woodlands, forests, and every other region of their host plants |
| Common Predators | Flies, wasps |
| Seasons active from | March – September |
| Host Plants | Mostly elm |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Larvae: Larvae of cicada Adults : Not known since they live for a short span |
Though they mostly occupy branches of elm trees, not much is known about the damage they cause.
Image Source: objects.liquidweb.services, cdn.whatsthatbug.com, static.inaturalist.org, bugguide.net
