California Beetle Project > Species Pages > Macrosaigon cruentum
Classification Scientific name: Macrosaigon cruentum (Germar) Order Coleoptera Superfamily Tenebrionoidea Family Rhipiphoridae Images (click to enlarge)
What it looks like: 5-8 mm in length. Its body has large alternating stripes of orange and black and long legs, making it look like a wasp. Where you'll find it: These beetles are found throughout California. They can be found in mountain ranges (coastal and inland) and in more desert-like environments. They are particularly abundant on flowers of buckwheat (Erigonum). Natural History: This species is parasitic, preying as larvae on wasps. The other species in this genus is a bee parasite. This page was written by Maren Farnum, a 2005 California Beetle Project intern.
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