About Sandalus niger Knoch, 1801
Sandalus niger, commonly known as the cedar beetle or cicada parasite beetle, is a species of cicada parasite beetle belonging to the family Rhipiceridae. This species is found in North America. While both females and males are capable of flight, females are typically found motionless on the sides of elm trees. Males fly throughout the afternoon when air temperatures are between 15 and 30°C; any temperature below 15°C causes males to become immobilized. The only exception to this flight behavior occurs during mating periods, when males stay motionless and do not fly. After mating is finished, females move up to high sections of trees, around 10 meters or higher, before laying their eggs in holes or behind the bark of elm trees.
