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Stephen Luk | profile | all galleries >> Arthropods of Ontario >> Class Insecta - Insects >> Order Coleoptera - Beetles >> Family Cantharidae - Soldier Beetles tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Family Cantharidae - Soldier Beetles

The soft-bodied Soldier Beetles earn their common name from their often brightly-coloured bodies, which resemble soldiers' uniforms. Many species are distasteful as they are protected by defensive chemicals (i.e. cantharidin). Soldier beetles are predators of other soft-bodied insects, and many are found on flowers as well. Members of this family are typically characterized by the exposed head and membranous labrum.
Cantharis rufa
Cantharis rufa
Cantharis livida
Cantharis livida
Podabrus appendiculatus
Podabrus appendiculatus
Podabrus brevicollis
Podabrus brevicollis
Podabrus flavicollis
Podabrus flavicollis
Podabrus frater
Podabrus frater
Podabrus tricostatus
Podabrus tricostatus
Podabrus tricostatus
Podabrus tricostatus
Rhagonycha excavata
Rhagonycha excavata
Rhagonycha recta
Rhagonycha recta
Rhagonycha sp.
Rhagonycha sp.
Polemius canadensis
Polemius canadensis
Polemius laticornis
Polemius laticornis
Soldier Beetle larva
Soldier Beetle larva