Lizard Beetles are long, slender beetles, colored black and red or dark blue and red. Their eyes are hemispherical and their antennae are clubbed. This beetle was about 3/8 inch long but they range in size from ¼ to ½ inch long.
This beetle overwinters in the stems of plants such as Joe-Pye Weed, Common Boneset, and Common Sneezeweed. In the warmer months adults visit the flowers of clovers, wild roses, and New Jersey Tea, among others. They are also found on the fruiting bodies of various fungi. This beetle was photographed on South stream trail.
Until recently the Lizard Beetles were in their own family, Languriidae. They are now included with the Pleasing Fungus Beetles, Erotylidae. The markings shown are typical for this species, but sometimes the pronotum lacks markings, and is either all-dark or all-reddish.
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