The checkered beetle Trichodes alvearius belongs to the group of bee-eating beetles. It is thermophilic and most often found in sunny locations in May and June during its one to three-month lifespan.
The checkered beetle prefers to visit white umbellifers but can also be found on other flowers. The beetle usually eats pollen and nectar and preys on small to medium-sized insects.
The development of the predatory larvae takes place in the nests of solitary bees and wasps. There they eat the larvae and pupae of their victims.