In 2020, an established population of Dere thoracica White, 1855 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Cleomenini) was detected in Clarke Co., Georgia, USA. Little information exists to assess potential ecological and economic impacts because this is the first known detection of the species outside of its native range. At sites where D. thoracica populations have been detected in Clarke Co., Georgia, we placed cut logs of seven tree species, including one known host, Albizia julibrissin Durazz. (Fabaceae), and black panel intercept traps baited with cerambycid pheromones to assess host use in the United States and investigate potential attractants for surveys. Additionally, we searched records from the community science platform iNaturalist to improve distributional knowledge of D. thoracica in the eastern United States. Adult D. thoracica emerged in low numbers only from the non-native and invasive host A. julibrissin, suggesting a potential preference for this species over the other tree species tested. No adult D. thoracica were captured in attractant-baited traps, which suggests that the trap/lure combinations tested are not effective for surveying under these conditions. Finally, eight iNaturalist observations and a fortuitous trap collection of D. thoracica were found in the United States, adding records for Meriwether Co., Georgia; Buncombe and Henderson cos., North Carolina; Spartanburg Co., South Carolina; and Hamilton and Knox cos., Tennessee. Together, our data suggest that D. thoracica is widely distributed in the southeastern United States and may favor exotic over native species as larval hosts. Additional work is needed to assess host use, survey methods, and distributional limits in its introduced range.