northeast-flora-and-fauna

This was 1 of the Margined Leatherwing Beetles on yesterday's Hemp Dogbane . They are 1 of our more commonly seen soldier beetles , a family of beetles considered to be somewhat related to fireflies : Both are longish beetles with relatively soft elytra (the mostly protective outer wings) compared to the typical beetle. Both grow from larvae that prey on invertebrates like snails, slugs, worms, and some insects. But AFAIK none of the soldier beetles exhibit any bio-luminescent traits. The Margined Leatherwing Beetle - like its Goldenrod Soldier Beetle cousins [1] - is generally considered to be a beneficial pollinator as adults [2]. June 3, 2023 at John Clyde Native Grassland Preserve Photo 300859635, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] Supporting their relatedness, the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle is sometimes called a Goldenrod Leatherwing Beetle while the Margined Leatherwing Beetle is sometimes called a Margined Soldier Beetle. [2] Their predatory days may not be...

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 a...