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ISSN : 1225-0171(Print)
ISSN : 2287-545X(Online)
Korean Journal of Applied Entomology Vol.65 No.3 pp.259-263
DOI : https://doi.org/10.5656/KSAE.2026.08.0.018

First Record of the Family Thanerocleridae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea) in South Korea

Jun-Young Kang1,2, Jong-Seok Park2, Chang-Jun Kim1*
1Forest Biodiversity Research Division, Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon 11186, Korea
2Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
*Corresponding author:changjunkim@korea.kr
June 5, 2026 August 4, 2026 August 6, 2026

Abstract


The family Thanerocleridae was formerly treated as a subfamily of Cleridae but is now recognized as a distinctive family within the superfamily Cleroidea. Herein the family Thanerocleridae Chapin, 1924 is recorded from South Korea for the first time based on a female specimen of Thaneroclerus buquet (Lefebvre, 1835) collected in Gwangneung Forest. The specimen was collected using a window trap installed 9 m above the ground in a Quercus serrata stand during a canopy survey. Images of the habitus and diagnostic characters are provided.


Thanerocleridae , Thaneroclerus buquet , New record , South Korea , Taxonomy

한국산 미기록과 Thanerocleridae(딱정벌레목: 개미붙이상과)의 보고

강준영1,2, 박종석2, 김창준1*
1국립수목원 산림생물다양성연구과
2충북대학교 생명시스템학과

초록


한국산 미기록과 Thanerocleridae를 광릉숲에서 채집된 Thaneroclerus buquet (Lefebvre, 1835) 암컷 표본에 근거하여 한국에서 처음 기록하였다. 해당 표본은 수관층 조사 과정에서 졸참나무 군락 내 지상 9 m 높이에 설치된 윈도우 트랩으로 채집되었다. 본 논문에서는 성충의 전체 형태 및 주요 식별 형질의 사진을 제시하였다.


Thanerocleridae , Thaneroclerus buquet , 미기록 , 한국 , 분류학

    Introduction

    Four subfamilies are currently recognized within Cleridae: Clerinae, Epiclininae, Korynetinae, and Tillinae (Bánki et al., 2026). Thanerocleridae Chapin, 1924, formerly treated as the subfamily Thaneroclerinae within Cleridae, is now recognized as a distinct family within the superfamily Cleroidea (Kolibáč, 1992;Bouchard et al., 2011;Peris et al., 2022). Thanerocleridae comprises 36 extant species in 10 genera and is distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide (Kolibáč and Leschen, 2010;Kolibáč, 2012;Peris et al., 2022). In East Asia, the family has been recorded from Japan and China but has not previously been discovered from South Korea (Peris et al., 2022). Although Thaneroclerus buquet (Lefebvre, 1835) was listed in a national checklist of North Korean insects (Ahn et al., 2013), no voucher specimen supporting that record has been verified. Here, we report the first confirmed record of T. buquet and the family Thanerocleridae from South Korea.

    Materials and Methods

    A single female specimen was examined and deposited in the Korea National Arboretum (KNA). The specimen was collected using a window trap installed 9 m above the ground in a Quercus serrata stand during a canopy study in Gwangneung Forest (Fig. 1). Observations were made using a Leica Ivesta 3 Stereomicroscope. Photographs were captured using a Dhyana 400DC camera and focus-stacked using Helicon Focus v1.04. Morphological terminology follows Kolibáč (1989, 1992) and Opitz (2010).

    Taxonomic Accounts

    Family Thanerocleridae Chapin, 1924

    Subfamily Thaneroclerinae Chapin, 1924

    Tribe Thaneroclerini Chapin, 1924

    Genus ThaneroclerusLefebvre, 1838

    Type species:Clerus buquetLefebvre, 1835

    Diagnosis. Members of this genus can be distinguished from the other thaneroclerine genera by the following combination of characters: antennal club indistinct (Fig. 2C), pronotum with three distinct depressions (Fig. 2A), elytra lacking tufts of erect setae (Fig. 2A), protarsomeres 2–4 subequal in size, and hind wing with a radial cell present. The body is sparsely pubescent (Fig. 2A, B). Head dorsum with longitudinal rugae; frons emarginate; eyes flattened with inner margins nearly entire (Fig. 2A, D). Prothorax constricted posteriorly, forming a weak collar; pronotum with three distinct depressions; pronotum lacking posterior marginal serrations (Fig. 2A). Elytra slightly depressed in anterior third. Antennae composed of 11 antennomeres, only slightly broadened distally, and not forming a distinct club (Fig. 2C). Procoxal cavities closed (Fig. 2B). Intermetacoxal process distinctly carinate, extending to approximately half the length of the metasternum anteriorly (Fig. 2B). Protarsomere 4 not smaller than protarsomere 3. Hind wing with a radial cell present and anal cell absent. Tegmen loose; female internal copulatory organs lacking a distinct bursa copulatrix.

    Distribution. India (Kashmir), Indonesia (Sumatra), Japan, Laos, South Korea (new record), Vietnam (Tonkin); T. buquet is cosmopolitan.

    Thaneroclerus buquet (Lefebvre, 1835)

    Clerus buquetLefebvre, 1835: 577 [original description; type locality: India]. Westwood, 1839: 264.

    Thaneroclerus buquetSchenkling, 1910: 76;Corporaal, 1939: 349;Corporaal, 1950: 93;Nakane, 1963: 183;Miyatake, 1965: 22;Mazur, 1975: 5;Miyatake, 1985: 153;Kolibáč, 1992: 312;Löbl et al., 2007: 367;Leavengood, 2008: 149.

    Clerus buqueti [sic.]: Westwood, 1838: 13.

    Clerus buquetii [sic.]: Klug, 1842: 310.

    Thaneroclerus buquetii [sic.]: Spinola, 1844a: 207.

    Thaneclerus buquetii [sic.]: Desmarest, 1860: 248.

    Thaneroclerus buqueti [sic.]: Gorham, 1887: 78;Schenkling, 1903: 53;Gahan, 1910: 63;Chapin, 1924: 253;Lepesme, 1944: 11;Lepesme, 1947: 167;Kocher, 1956: 75;Weidner, 1967: 81;Gnadt, 1968: 178.

    Clerus sanguinolentus Dejean, 1833: 113 [nom. nud.]. Spinola, 1844a: 207; Desmarest, 1860: 248 [synonymized].

    Clerus dermestoides Klug, 1842: 310 [original description].

    Thaneroclerus dermestoides Schenkling, 1903: 53; Schenkling, 1910: 76; Corporaal, 1939: 350 [synonymized].

    Clerus buquet pondicherryanus Spinola, 1844a: 207 [original description].

    Thaneroclerus buquet pondicherryanus Spinola, 1844b: 209; Schenkling, 1903: 53; Schenkling, 1910: 76 [synonymized].

    Taneroclerus [sic.] girodi Chevrolat, 1880: 31 [original description]; Escherich, 1914: 264.

    Thaneroclerus girodi Schenkling, 1903: 53; Wolcott, 1910: 364; Schenkling, 1910: 76; Corporaal, 1939: 349 [synonymized].

    Thaneroclerus aino Lewis, 1892: 190 [original description]. Schenkling, 1903: 53; Schenkling, 1910: 76; Corporaal, 1939: 350; Nakane, 1963: 183; Miyatake, 1985: 153; Kolibáč, 1992: 312; Murakami, 2016: 288; Murakami, 2021: 202 [synonymized].

    Melademius tabacci Matsumura, 1915: 234 [original description]. Corporaal, 1939: 349 [synonymized].

    Material examined. 1♀ (KNA), Korea National Arboretum, Gwangneung, Gyeonggi-do, S. Korea, 37° 45′ 9.2″ N 127° 9′ 3.2″ E, 26 May–5 June 2025 ((W.T 2–8) 9 m), J.Y. Kang, M.H. Kim, M.S. Kim leg., (KNAE779000).

    Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the following combination of characters: pronotum with a distinct longitudinal median depression and a pair of rounded lateral depressions (Fig. 2A); protarsomere 1 bearing a dense tuft of setae; mesoventrite distinctly narrowed; body coarsely and densely punctate (Fig. 2A, B).

    Redescription of female. Body length 5.74 mm; body brown with pale pubescence (Fig. 2A, B). Head 0.9 mm long and 0.9 mm wide, finely and densely punctate, with punctures slightly smaller than those on pronotum and elytra; gular sutures subparallel (Fig. 2D); eyes coarsely faceted and granulate, inner margins without notch; submentum well developed; maxillary notches deeply emarginate; epistomal suture absent. Antennae with pale pubescence (Fig. 2C), composed of 11 antennomeres; antennomere 1 oval and robust, bearing distinct longitudinal carina; antennomere 2, basally narrow, abruptly broadened, and swollen on one side; antennomere 3, rectangular, longer than antennomeres 4–8; antennomeres 4–8, rectangular; antennomeres 9–10, trapezoidal and wider than 2–8; 11, ovate and robust. Lacinia and galea without laminae; maxillary palpus composed of three palpomeres; palpomere 1 short, palpomere 2 slightly shorter than palpomere 1, palpomere 3 longest; terminal maxillary palpomere narrowly coniform; mandibles symmetrical, basal notch extending approximately half the length of mandible. Prothorax 1.2 mm long and 1.3 mm wide. Pronotum strongly constricted basally, posterior margin strongly bordered, with distinct longitudinal median depression and one pair of rounded lateral depressions. Surface coarsely and densely punctate, bearing fine, pale pubescence, lateral margins with rigid, long, erect setae. Coxal cavities closed; prosternal process apically expanded, overlapping epimera apices (Fig. 2B); lateral edge present along entire length of the pronotum. Meso- and metaventrite well developed; mesoventrite distinctly narrowed; metaventrite with distinct median longitudinal sulcus. Elytra 3.4 mm long and 0.9 mm wide; elytra coarsely and densely punctate; short, semierect pubescence surface. Leg Profemora swollen; protibiae with small tibial tooth; protarsomere 1 bearing a dense tuft of setae; tibiae each with two apical spurs; empodium bisetose. Abdomen 1.3 mm long and 1 mm wide; five visible abdominal sternites; surface weakly punctate; intercoxal process distinct, strongly sclerotized; sternite I membranous, sternite II sclerotized.

    Biology.T. buquet has been reported as predator of several stored product pests, especially Lasioderma serricorne. It has been associated with various stored commodities and plant-derived materials, such as peanuts, almonds, nutmeg, and cardamom (Wolcott, 1910;Runner, 1919;Hinton, 1944;Weidner, 1967;Murakami, 2021).

    Distribution. Cosmopolitan; newly recorded from South Korea.

    Acknowledgments

    This study was supported by the Korea National Arboretum (Project No. KNA1-2-50-25-3).

    Statements for Authorship Position & contribution

    • Kang, J.-Y.: Korea National Arboretum, Researcher; Collected and examined the specimen, prepared the figures, and wrote the manuscript

    • Park, J.-S.: Chungbuk National University, Professor; Reviewed and edited the manuscript

    • Kim, C.-J.: Korea National Arboretum, Researcher; Designed the research, confirmed the identification, and revised the manuscript

    All authors read and approved the manuscript.

    Figure

    KJAE-65-3-259_F1.jpg

    Window traps installed at different heights above the ground in a Quercus serrata stand during a canopy study in Gwangneung Forest. A, ground-level (0 m) and 3 m window traps with a hover trap; B, window traps installed at 3, 6, and 9 m heights.

    KJAE-65-3-259_F2.jpg

    Habitus of female Thaneroclerus buquet (Lefebvre, 1835). A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, antenna; and D, head, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B); 0.5 mm (C, D).

    Table

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    Vol. 40 No. 4 (2022.12)

    Journal Abbreviation Korean J. Appl. Entomol.
    Frequency Quarterly
    Doi Prefix 10.5656/KSAE
    Year of Launching 1962
    Publisher Korean Society of Applied Entomology
    Indexed/Tracked/Covered By