Megacyllene caryae (Gahan, 1908)

Chapman, Eric G., Richards, Austin B. & Dupuis, Julian R., 2023, The longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Kentucky with notes on larval hosts, adult nectar use, and semiochemical attraction, Zootaxa 5229 (1), pp. 1-89 : 18-19

Megacyllene caryae (Gahan, 1908) ; Chlorophorini “painted hickory borer” [new state record]

Distribution: MA to GA to TX to WI. Most Kentucky collections were from the central portion of the state (mostly Interior Plateau ; Map 097).

Kentucky counties: Adair (1), Campbell (50), Carroll (1), Fayette (39), Franklin (1), Grant (1), Lincoln (2), Madison (4), Mason (1), Nelson (1), Rockcastle (1), Rowan (9), Scott (1), Shelby (1), Warren (4), Wayne (1)

Years: 1896 (1), 1901 (1), 1903 (1), 1921 (13), 1925 (1), 1932 (2), 1938 (5), 1939 (4), 1940 (2), 1946 (1), 1949 (2), 1965 (1), 1968 (2), 1980 (1), 1981 (9), 1983 (1), 1991 (1), 2001 (1), 2010 (1), 2012 (1), 2013 (1), 2015 (1), 2016 (2), 2017 (60), 2018 (2), 2020 (1)

Months: March (3), April (87), May (10), June (18)

Collections (45 records, 117 specimens): ABRC (5), AMBC (2), BG (1), EGCCRC (4), FlorC (1), PDBC (2), UKIC (47), WKUC (1), XEUC (50), iNat (4)

Collection methods: Malaise trap (3); Wood: Carya logs (6), Robinia (20); under Morus bark (1); panel trap baited with Ray lab blend (50), C6 diols + C6 ketols + fuscumol (1), α-pinene (1)

Larval host plants: Carya spp ., Celtis spp. , Cercis canadensis , Fraxinus americana , Gleditsia triacanthos , Juglans spp. , Maclura pomifera , Morus rubra , Prosopis glandulosa , Prunus , Quercus , Ulmus and Vitis ( Linsley & Chemsak 1997)

Chemical lures: Hexanediols or citral ( Lacey & Moreira et al. 2008)

Comments: Two different Kentucky collectors collected a series from downed locust ( Robinia ), which is not a published host. This is a spring species in Kentucky with most adults taken in April. Hexanediols were components of the Ray lab lure blend that attracted the 50 Kentucky specimens cited above. Occasionally attracted to lights. Beating dead host plant branches can yield specimens.