Overview
The soldier beetles, Cantharidae, are relatively soft-bodied, straight sided , related to the Lampyridae or firefly family, but being unable to produce light. They are cosmopolitan in distribution. One common British species is bright red, reminding people of the red coats of soldiers, hence the common name. A secondary common name is leatherwing, obtained from the texture of the wing covers.
Historically, these beetles were placed in a superfamily "Cantharoidea", which has been subsumed by the superfamily Elateroidea; the name is still sometimes used as a rankless grouping, including the families Cantharidae, Drilidae, Lampyridae, Lycidae, Omalisidae, Omethidae, Phengodidae (which includes Telegeusidae), and Rhagophthalmidae.
Soldier beetles are highly desired by gardeners as biological control agents of a number of pest insects. The larvae tend to be dark brown or gray, slender and wormlike with a rippled appearance due to pronounced segmentation. They consume grasshopper eggs, aphids, caterpillars and other soft bodied insects, most of which are pests.
The adults are especially important predators of aphids. They supplement their diet with nectar and pollen and can be minor pollinators. Soldier beetle populations can be increased by planting good nectar- or pollen-producing plants such as Asclepias or Solidago.
Selected Genera
Photos
Taxonomy
The Superfamily Cantharoidea is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Family (10): Brachypsectridae · Cantharidae · Cneoglossidae · Drilidae · Homalisidae · Lampyridae · Lycidae · Omethidae · Phengodidae · Telegeusidae
Families
Brachypsectridae
Cantharidae
The soldier beetles, Cantharidae, are relatively soft-bodied, straight sided , related to the Lampyridae or firefly family, but being unable to produce light. They are cosmopolitan in distribution. One common British species is bright red, reminding people of the red coats of soldiers, hence the common name. A secondary common name is leatherwing, obtained from the texture of the wing covers. [more]
Cneoglossidae
Drilidae
Homalisidae
Lampyridae
Lampyridae is a of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or flaming plates of the insect world for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies are capable of producing a "cold light", containing no ultraviolet or infrared rays. This chemically-produced light, emitted from the lower abdomen, may be yellow, green, or pale red in color, and has a wavelength from 510 to 670 nanometers. [more]
Lycidae
Lycidae is a family in the order Coleoptera, members of which are commonly called net-winged beetles. [more]
Omethidae
Phengodidae
The family Phengodidae is known also as glowworm beetles, whose larvae are known as glowworms. The females and larvae have bioluminescent organs. They occur throughout the New World from extreme southern Canada to Chile. The family Rhagophthalmidae, an Old World group, used to be included in the Phengodidae. [more]
Telegeusidae
At least 6 species and subspecies belong to the Family Telegeusidae.
More info about the Family Telegeusidae may be found here.
Sources
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