Soldier Beetles: Difference between revisions
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From midsummer to early fall, soldier beetles tend to pollinate yellow flowers of the family Asteraceae. Some adult soldier beetles feed on nectar, pollen, and small [[arthropods]] <ref name= "colorado">Colorado State University. (2017). Soldier Beetle. Western Colorado Insects. https://wci.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/03/SoldierBeetles.pdf.</ref>. Other adults may prey on aphids and other soft-bodied insects <ref name="ucipm">UCIPM. (2025). Soldier Beetles. UCIPM. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/soldier-beetles/#gsc.tab=0.</ref>. | From midsummer to early fall, soldier beetles tend to pollinate yellow flowers of the family Asteraceae. Some adult soldier beetles feed on nectar, pollen, and small [[arthropods]] <ref name= "colorado">Colorado State University. (2017). Soldier Beetle. Western Colorado Insects. https://wci.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/03/SoldierBeetles.pdf.</ref>. Other adults may prey on aphids and other soft-bodied insects <ref name="ucipm">UCIPM. (2025). Soldier Beetles. UCIPM. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/soldier-beetles/#gsc.tab=0.</ref>. | ||
Soldier beetle eggs are laid from late August to early September. Though soldier beetle life history is not well known, larvae are assumed to predate on small [[invertebrates]] within the [[soil]]. Some soldier beetles are able to produce compounds that help stave off predators, like spiders <ref name= "colorado">Colorado State University. (2017). Soldier Beetle. Western Colorado Insects. https://wci.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/03/SoldierBeetles.pdf.</ref>. | Soldier beetle eggs are laid from late August to early September. After winter, beetles emerge and are found moving through leaf litter, plant debris, and other areas of high humidity <ref name= "hahn">Hahn, Jeffrey. (2023). Soldier beetles. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/soldier-beetles#:~:text=Soldier%20beetles%20are%20beneficial%20insects&text=Because%20of%20their%20frequent%20contact,go%20away%20on%20their%20own.</ref>. Though soldier beetle life history is not well known, larvae are assumed to predate on small [[invertebrates]] within the [[soil]]. Some soldier beetles are able to produce compounds that help stave off predators, like spiders <ref name= "colorado">Colorado State University. (2017). Soldier Beetle. Western Colorado Insects. https://wci.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/03/SoldierBeetles.pdf.</ref>. | ||
Based on molecular dating, the Cantharidae family is thought to have originated 156.3 million years ago <ref name= "motyka">Motyka, M., Kusy, D., Biffi, G., Geiser, M., Kazantsev, S.V., Bilkova, R., Jahodarova, E., Vogler, A.P., Bocak, L.. (2023). Untangling the evolution of soldier beetles ([[Coleoptera]]: Cantharidae) and the evaluation of the morphological phylogenetic signal in a soft-bodied elateroid lineage. Cladistics. 39: 548-570. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12555.</ref>. | Based on molecular dating, the Cantharidae family is thought to have originated 156.3 million years ago <ref name= "motyka">Motyka, M., Kusy, D., Biffi, G., Geiser, M., Kazantsev, S.V., Bilkova, R., Jahodarova, E., Vogler, A.P., Bocak, L.. (2023). Untangling the evolution of soldier beetles ([[Coleoptera]]: Cantharidae) and the evaluation of the morphological phylogenetic signal in a soft-bodied elateroid lineage. Cladistics. 39: 548-570. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12555.</ref>. | ||
Revision as of 20:19, 14 April 2025
Description & Overview
Soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are the second largest group in the beetle (Coleoptera) superfamily Elateroidea, containing approximatley 5,500 species. These beetles are common throughout the temperate region of the northern hemisphere [1]. Soldier beetle larvae tend to be darkly colored and look almost reptilian. Adult soldier beetles grow to about half of an inch long and vary from yellow, to orange, to brown, or to black in color. Some abdominal segments are exposed, as their wings do not entirely cover their body. These insects are beneficial, as they act as a pollinator species [2].
Currently, 25 species in 16 genera of soldier beetles have been discovered in the fossiliferous resin Burmese amber. The oldest soldier beetle fossil discovered comes from Early Cretaceous Lebanese amber [3].
Soldier beetles may be confused with certain species of blister beetles, fireflies, or glowworm beetles [4].
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Phylum | Subphylum | Class | Order | Suborder | Family |
| Animalia | Arthropoda | Hexapoda | Insecta | Coleoptera | Polyphaga | Cantharidae |
Ecology & Evolution
From midsummer to early fall, soldier beetles tend to pollinate yellow flowers of the family Asteraceae. Some adult soldier beetles feed on nectar, pollen, and small arthropods [7]. Other adults may prey on aphids and other soft-bodied insects [4].
Soldier beetle eggs are laid from late August to early September. After winter, beetles emerge and are found moving through leaf litter, plant debris, and other areas of high humidity [2]. Though soldier beetle life history is not well known, larvae are assumed to predate on small invertebrates within the soil. Some soldier beetles are able to produce compounds that help stave off predators, like spiders [7].
Based on molecular dating, the Cantharidae family is thought to have originated 156.3 million years ago [1].
Common Soldier Beetle Genera
Cantharis
Cantharis species are usually gray-brown with a red or orange head and prothorax [7].
Chauliognathus
Most Chauliognathus species are found in the western United States, Australia, and South America, excepting two species in the state of Virginia. Adults in this genus are medium in size (8 to 15 millimeters long), and they are yellow to orange with black coloration on their forewings and prothorax [8].
Podabrus
Species in the Podabrus genus tend to feed on aphids and soft-bodied insects [9].
References
[1] [2] [7] [5] [4] [3] [8] [9] [6]
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 Motyka, M., Kusy, D., Biffi, G., Geiser, M., Kazantsev, S.V., Bilkova, R., Jahodarova, E., Vogler, A.P., Bocak, L.. (2023). Untangling the evolution of soldier beetles (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) and the evaluation of the morphological phylogenetic signal in a soft-bodied elateroid lineage. Cladistics. 39: 548-570. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12555.
- ↑ Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hahn, Jeffrey. (2023). Soldier beetles. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/soldier-beetles#:~:text=Soldier%20beetles%20are%20beneficial%20insects&text=Because%20of%20their%20frequent%20contact,go%20away%20on%20their%20own.
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 Entomology Today. New Soldier Beetle Species Found in 99-million-year-old Amber. Entomological Society of America. https://entomologytoday.org/2016/10/14/new-soldier-beetle-species-found-in-99-million-year-old-amber/.
- ↑ Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 4.2 UCIPM. (2025). Soldier Beetles. UCIPM. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/soldier-beetles/#gsc.tab=0.
- ↑ Jump up to: 5.0 5.1 BugGuide. (2025). Family Cantharidae - Soldier Beetles. BugGuide. https://bugguide.net/node/view/118/tree.
- ↑ Jump up to: 6.0 6.1 iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/.
- ↑ Jump up to: 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Colorado State University. (2017). Soldier Beetle. Western Colorado Insects. https://wci.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/03/SoldierBeetles.pdf.
- ↑ Jump up to: 8.0 8.1 Catron, K.A.. (2021). Biology of Chauliognathus spp. (Hentz) (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) in Virginia agroecosystems. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/f6f5fd1b-f813-4947-a14a-1b06d989fc18/content.
- ↑ Jump up to: 9.0 9.1 Montana State University. (2022). Podabrus sp. Montana State University. https://www.montana.edu/yellowstoneinsects/coleoptera/cantharidae/podabrus_sp.html#:~:text=Podabrus%20is%20a%20genus%20in,exclusively%20near%20bodies%20of%20water.