Among checkered beetles (family Cleridae), the genus Trichodes contains among the largest and most strikingly-colored species. The 11 North American species of this predominantly Holarctic genus are primarily western in distribution, although two species (T. nuttalli and T. apivorus) do occur in the eastern U.S. The individual in these photos was one of several I encountered feeding on the flowers of a yellow composite in the Gloss Mountains of northwestern Oklahoma during early July. I take them to represent the species T. bibalteatus based on their close resemblance to the holotype of that species from the LeConte Collection in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. While these photographs are admittedly far from perfect, they were about the best I could manage at the time considering the gusty post-storm winds that I encountered atop the mesa where these beetles were found (along with my continuing difficulty in achieving proper exposure with subjects on bright yellow flowers).
The striking colors of adult Trichodes and their frequent association with flowers for feeding and mating belies a more treacherous aspect of their life history. While adults may serve as important pollinators of native plant species (Mawdsley 2004), they also lay their eggs on flowers. The larvae that hatch from these eggs don’t eat the flower itself, but rather attach themselves to bees and wasps that visit the flower as they gather pollen for provisioning their own nests (Linsley & MacSwain 1943). The larvae hitch a ride back to the hymenopteran’s nest, where they then prey on the developing brood and usurp pollen provisions for themselves.
Photo Details: Canon 50D w/ MP-E 65mm 1-5X macro lens (ISO 100, 1/250 sec, f/16), Canon MT-24EX flash (1/8 ratio) w/ Sto-Fen + GFPuffer diffusers. Typical post-processing (levels, minor cropping, unsharp mask).
REFERENCE:
Linsley, E. G. & J. W. MacSwain. 1943. Observations on the life history of Trichodes ornatus (Coleoptera, Cleridae), a larval predator in the nests of bees and wasps. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 36:589–601.
Mawdsley, J. R. 2004. Pollen transport by North American Trichodes Herbst (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 106(1):199-201.
Copyright © Ted C. MacRae 2010
Beetles In The Bush 
Interesting life cycle – One wonders how they evolve such tenuous existences?
And what is it about yellow flowers tthat distorts other colors and makes exposures so difficult?
I wish I knew – maybe Alex will chime with some insight.
wow! you definately captured the essence of the little beetle. i love close-ups. and the high detail of your’e picture helps those who hav’nt seen beetles before better understand them i think. i have bred many insects before and will be posting up my setups on my blog so check i out. thanks.
Thanks, luc, for your kind comments.
Very interesting beetle!
Yellow is a bright color, and like white, has always been challenging to me for proper exposure. Bright colors reflect light while dark colors absorb – or at least that is how I describe it. I think the metering mode and white balance have been the most effective methods I have used to try to avoid over-exposure. Usually it is hard to get a picture framed and focused in time, before the subject runs off – to get around to fiddling with exposure controls. Still, if you have the advantage of time, you could experiment with it.
I’ll be spending the next several months honing my technique with my new macro lens – love it!
I actually seem to have more trouble with yellow than white. But you’re right – I need to just spend the time to experiment and get it figured out.