Thanerocleridae, Chapin, 1924

Chapman, Eric G., Leavengood, John M. & Dupuis, Julian R., 2025, The Cleridae and Thanerocleridae of eastern North America, with illustrated keys, updated distributions, and special emphasis on the Kentucky fauna, Zootaxa 5639 (1), pp. 1-88 : 19

Key to the Species of Thanerocleridae of eastern North America

1. Pronotum brown, elytra bright red to orange ( B); forecoxal cavities open behind—apex of proepimeron ( A—left arrow) not reaching procoxal process ( A—right arrow)........................................ Zenodosus sanguineus (Say)

1’. Dorsal color entirely reddish brown to brown with very little contrast between pronotum and elytra ( C, D); forecoxal cavities closed behind (see key to clerid genera, couplet 19-B)........................................................ 2

2(1’). Small (body length 1.8 – 2.6 mm); pronotum with sides subparallel in apical half, broadly rounded posteriorly ( A) with lateral margins subtly serrate basally ( A—arrows)............................................ Ababa tantilla (LeConte)

2’. Larger (body length 4.7 – 6.5 mm); pronotum more rounded, narrowing anteriorly as well as posteriorly ( B), lateral margin near base not serrate ( B)......................................................... Thaneroclerus buquet (Lefèbvre)