Soldier beetle
| Soldier beetle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chauliognathus lugubris | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Euarthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Superfamily: | Elateroidea |
| Family: | Cantharidae Imhoff, 1856 |
| Synonyms | |
|
Chauliognathidae | |
The soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles. They are cosmopolitan in distribution. One of the first described species has a color pattern reminiscent of the red coats of early British soldiers, hence the common name. They are also known commonly as leatherwings because of their soft elytra.[1]
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.
See also
References
- ↑ Phillips, C., et al. Leatherwing (Soldier) Beetles. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. 2013.
External links
- Delta key
- Key to the British genera of Cantharidae
- Key to the British species of genus Cantharis
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