Checkered Beetle Larva

Often found on tree bark, logs, and sometimes within wooden structures where wood-boring insects are present.

Predatory; they feed on the larvae and pupae of other insects, particularly bark beetles, wood-boring beetles, and sometimes larvae of bees and wasps.

Larvae are active hunters that crawl using their thoracic legs; they often wait in the galleries of wood-boring insects to ambush prey. They undergo several molts before pupating in protected crevices.

They are highly beneficial to ecosystems as natural biological control agents, helping to regulate populations of wood-boring pests that can damage healthy forests and timber.