Goldenrod Soldier Beetles

Last summer I encountered a small group of Goldenrod Soldier Beetles (aka Pennsylvania Leatherwings).

These beetles are a double benefit to a garden. Early in their lives when they hatch from their eggs, the larvae head into the soil where they eat eggs/larvae of some garden pests like grasshoppers. And as adults they are usually pollinators, helping plant reproduction, though they could take an insect snack here and there too.

The soldier beetles got their name from their bright, neat wings/elytra, which reminded people of military uniforms. (AFAIK they have little or no soldiering skills. Deploying them to Ukraine is very unlikely to deter a Russian invasion.) This particular soldier beetle got its "leatherwing" name because the elytra is softer and more leathery than the hard elytra of most beetles.

One relative of theirs that I've shown you before is the Margined Leatherwing Beetle. (You'll probably notice a family connection; although coloring and patterns are a little different, the body structure is pretty similar.)

August 19, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 152592953, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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