Pollen Transport by North American Trichodes Herbst (Coleoptera: Cleridae)

Adults of the 11 North American species in the genus Trichodes Herbst (Coleoptera: Cleridae) readily acquire pollen while visiting flowers. On museum specimens, pollen grains are concentrated primarily on the vestiture of the pronotum and legs, although pollen is also found on the pubescence at the base of the elytra, the frons, and the ventral surface. Field observations of Trichodes ornatus (Say) in Colorado indicate that adults often move between flowers, and suggest that individual populations of these clerids may show some fidelity to particular plant species. Trichodes species may be important pollinators of native plant species in North America.