Cleridae
Author(s): Michael C. Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Source: IPM Images
Cleridae - (checkered beetles - storage pests)
The family of checkered beetles contains more than 3,000 species and has a world-wide distribution. Several species are beneficial predators of pest insects like bark beetles. See the group Cleridae (predators) for that group. However, some are known as storage pests. This page deals with the latter group. For example species of the genus Necrobia infest stored meat like ham, and other stored animal or cassava products.
The adults are medium-sized (3-50 mm), elongated, slightly flat and often brightly coloured. The pronotum is often cylindrical and narrower than the elytra. The tarsi have usually 5 segments on all legs and the entire body is covered with bristle-like hairs.
The following genera and individual species are currently entered in the system:
