Soldier Beetles
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].
Soldier beetles may be confused with certain species of blister beetles, fireflies, or glowworm beetles [3].
 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 [6]. Other adults may prey on aphids and other soft-bodied insects [3].
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 [6].
Common Soldier Beetles
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 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 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 3.2 UCIPM. (2025). Soldier Beetles. UCIPM. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/soldier-beetles/#gsc.tab=0.
- ↑ Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 BugGuide. (2025). Family Cantharidae - Soldier Beetles. BugGuide. https://bugguide.net/node/view/118/tree.
- ↑ Jump up to: 5.0 5.1 iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/.
- ↑ Jump up to: 6.0 6.1 6.2 Colorado State University. (2017). Soldier Beetle. Western Colorado Insects. https://wci.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/03/SoldierBeetles.pdf.