goldenrod soldier beetle

Goldenrod soldier beetle is the most common soldier beetle in the Midwest. It is considered beneficial because its larvae feed on the striped cucumber beetle and other pests.

Adults are ⅜″ to 9 ⁄16″ long and colorful. The body is elongated, soft, and somewhat flattened. The sides are nearly parallel. The underside is black.

The thoracic shield (pronotum) is wider than long and brownish-yellow or orangish-yellow. A black spot covers most of the back (posterior) three quarters of the pronotum. The spot is widest at the front (anterior) and does not extend to the anterior margin of the pronotum.

The abdominal segments are mostly black with a narrow brownish-yellow or orangish-yellow posterior margin. The forewings (elytra) are brownish-yellow or orangish-yellow and loose. They are leathery and flexible, not hardened like on most beetles. They are long but do not extend beyond the abdomen. Each elytron has a black, elongated, longitudinal mark. The black mark is usually confined to the posterior half but sometimes extends the entire length of the elytron. The inner (sutural) and outer (lateral) margins are always brownish-yellow or orangish-yellow.

The head is black, large, and prominent. It is visible from above, not concealed beneath the pronotum. The antennae are slender, thread-like, black, and more than half as long as the body.

The legs are long, and slender, and mostly black. The third and most robust segment of each leg (femur) is entirely black. The fourth segment (tibia) of the front leg is brownish-yellow or orangish-yellow. The end segment of each leg (tarsus) has 5 sections. The fourth tarsal segment is lobed.

⅜″ to 9 ⁄16″

Margined leatherwing (Chauliognathus marginatus) is darker orange. The pronotum is longer than wide and has a thick black mark extending its entire length longitudinally. Adults are active in May and June. It has been recorded Wisconsin and Iowa, but not in Minnesota.

Prairies, meadows, abandoned fields, gardens, parks, and roadsides.

Early June to early October

The female deposits clusters of eggs in the soil or in leaf litter. Larvae feed in the soil. They pupate in cells in the soil in the spring of the following year.

Grasshopper eggs, small caterpillars, beetle larvae, and soft-bodied insects.

Nectar and pollen of flowers, especially goldenrod; aphids and other small insects.

Sources

7, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83.

Common, widespread, and abundant

Soldier beetles

beetle on beetle

Soldier beetle and bumble bee sharing goldenrod.

These guys show up late every summer and seem to only have one thing in mind. I find them everywhere except on my goldenrod. They love my panicle hydrangea. Wish they would eat the millions on aphids on my common milkweed!

Here are a couple of pictures of a bee variety I do not recognize. They came to our allium this afternoon. Still feeding. Hundreds of them on three plants. On the hydrangea adjacent!

Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus
Allen Chartier

Soldier beetle forages on wild cucumber
Robert Klips

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Cantharidae: Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus) Mating
Carl Barrentine

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Cantharidae: Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus) on Blossom
Carl Barrentine

Location: Cass County

Mike Poeppe
8/5/2024

Location: near Houston, MN

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Savage, MN

Saw hundreds of them on this white plant near a creek by Featherstone Lake walking trail.

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Little Canada, MN

I came across your website as I was trying to identify the beetles that were all over my hydrangea tree. I was unable to post a photo via the website, but I live in Little Canada, MN and have attached a few photos.

Location: Cottage Grove, MN

Found it crawling up my leg.

Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County

beetle on beetle

Location: Brooklyn Park, MN

Spotted in my vegetable garden.

Location: Kimball, MN

These guys show up late every summer and seem to only have one thing in mind. I find them everywhere except on my goldenrod. They love my panicle hydrangea. Wish they would eat the millions on aphids on my common milkweed!

Location: Kentucky

I live in Kentucky and there all over my place inside and out! I thought they were lighting bugs! Lol

Location: East Saint Paul, MN

Neighbor’s goldenrod is COVERED in these!  Glad we finally found out what they are. They don’t seem to disrupt the bees at all, and now I want to introduce them to a neighbor across the alley with an aphid problem!

Location: Woodbury, MN

Location: Fairview Township

Location: Mankato, MN

Here are a couple of pictures of a bee variety I do not recognize. They came to our allium this afternoon. Still feeding. Hundreds of them on three plants. On the hydrangea adjacent!

Location: Duluth, MN

Bill Reynolds
8/30/2015

Location:  Pennington County MN

Rana Thomas
8/22/2014

Location:  Savage, MN