Coleoptera204 species

Family Soldier Beetles (Cantharidae)

Cantharidae is a family in the order Coleoptera. Browse 204 named species recorded in this family, or open an individual profile for its available identification and natural-history information.

Species in Cantharidae (204)

Neglected Soldier Beetle

Atalantycha neglecta

Atalantycha neglecta is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Caccodes granicollis

Identification: See detailed comments under this image: Quoting the original description: Head dark orange with a brunneous interocular fascia behind the antennae, antennae piceous with the basal segment paler at the basal half; pronotum brunneous wi

Mountaineer Cantharid Beetle

Cantharis alticola

Cantharis alticola is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Cantharis cryptica

7 to 8.5 mm. An orange/brown beetle with black rings above the 'knees' and all-yellow palps. The elytra have a mixture of flat and erect hairs. Cantharis pallida is very similar but has black tips to the palps and no flat hairs on the elytra (only er

Cantharis decipiens

7.5 - 8.5mm. The orange/brown elytra and distinctly marked thorax help to distinguish this species from other Cantharis beetles. Rhagonycha limbata has similar colours but the black mark on the pronotum has an angled and not rounded base. Rhagonycha

Cantharis figurata

Length 6 to 8 mm. This soldier beetle has an orange body, a partially black head and a dark but diffuse mark on its pronotum, sometimes reduced to a few spots. It also has dark femora which change to orange before the tibial joint. Rushy pasture, ope

Cantharis flavilabris

The black elytra (wing covers) are shiny and have a layer of very fine hairs. The pronotum can be all black or may have varying amounts of red. The scutellum is black which distinguishes the red pronotum variety from the similar C. nigra which has a

Cantharis grandicollis

Cantharis grandicollis is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Cantharis lateralis

Length: 5-7mm. The head and elytra are grey-black but the pronotum is orange, sometimes with small dark marks, and is square-shaped. The legs are usually all yellow/orange except the black rear tibiae. Outer edge of elytra yellow. Widely distributed

Cantharis livida

11-14mm. All yellow/orange but with a broad black band at the base of the hind femora. The black head spot behind the eyes is unique to this species. Cantharis livida also has a darker form (var. rufipes ). Your specimen should have these features: A

Cantharis nigra

Very similar to the red pronotum variety of Cantharis flavilabris , but in C. nigra the scutellum is red (black scutellum in the red pronotum variety of C. flavilabris ) The red pronotum variety of Cantharis flavilabris (see above). Photographs requi

Cantharis nigricans

Length 9 to 11 mm. The elytra appear grey from the coating of short flat hairs amongst the longer ones. The yellow-orange pronotum may have a central darker mark and typically has a lighter orange ring around the edge. There is a broad black band on

Cantharis pallida

This orangey soldier beetle is one of several similarly coloured beetles that belong to the Cantharidae group. In this species the head, pronotum and legs are all predominantly orange. They are frequent visitors to thistles and umbelliferous flowers,

Cantharis pellucida

9-12mm. Dark to black elytra and an all-orange/red pronotum. It has thin bands at the tip of the hind femora and typically with dark mid-tibia. Cantharis nigricans has broad black bands at the end of the femora and overall has a duller and more yello

Cantharis rufa

Length 9 - 11 mm. Variable. The head is usually red with black behind the eyes but may be black in front of the eyes too. There is usually a dark mark on the pronotum but this is variable. The legs vary from all red to having some black but not ringe

Cantharis rustica

9 to 12.5 mm. It has black, shiny elytra (wing cases) covered in fine hairs. The red/orange pronotum has a central black heart spot. The mid and hind tibia are black. Your specimen should have these features: Areas with tall grasses, and in open wood

Chauliognathus lewisi

Identification: ssp. vittaus Schaeffer has the basal & apical elytral markings connected

Chauliognathus misellus

Identification: Det. M. A. Quinn, 2017 interesting mimic of: Dysdercus bimaculatus (Stål) - AZ Pyrrhocoridae

Chauliognathus omissus

Chauliognathus omissus is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Chauliognathus profundus

Identification: The three black spots of the thorax are in a transverse line behind the middle. The black of the elytra occupies about two-fifths of the surface. Det. M. A. Quinn, 2017 Type Locality: Sonora, Mex.

Chauliognathus scutellaris

Identification: Det. E.G. Riley, 2009 Quoting the original description: Body slender, black, finely pubescent; head moderately elongated, third joint of the antennae one half as long as the 4th; thorax a little longer than wide, rounded at the apex,

Chauliognathus transversus

Identification: Pronotum transversely subquadrate, with or without two oblique black spots, "one on each lateral half but nearer the middle". Elytra subulate, each with a black spot at apical third, not attaining margins. Legs black with the basal ¾

Cultellunguis ingenuus

Identification: Black, including black elytral pubescence, except for yellowish to orange-reddish face and pronotum. The tarsi are lobed, with the anterior claw of protarsi cleft in males, the outer cleft portion is knife-like, and slightly larger th

Discodon planicolle

Identification: note the pale shoulders, black pronotal line variable, head sometimes hidden

Ditemnus bidentatus

Ditemnus bidentatus (Ditemnus bidentatus) is a species in the family Cantharidae, commonly known as soldier beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Silinae, tribe Silini, suborder Polyphaga, superfa

Ditemnus fossiger 0

Ditemnus fossiger

Identification: Elytra black, lateral borders narrowly pale. , see type Type Locality: Texas

Ditemnus freemani

Identification: note the destinctive pronotal margin, and range - males not in GBIF

Malthinus difficilis

Identification: Spmns with uniformly yellow head and pronotum are freq., but most spmns have a brown spot of variable size at the base of the frons extending in some spmns to the upper margin of the eyes. In most spmns the pronotum has a complete, wi

Malthinus flaveolus

5-6mm. This is the commonest species in the genus. The greyish brown elytra bear a pair of yellow spots. Scutellum completely yellow. Pronotum yellow with usually with some dark markings, that can vary in extent. When viewed from above the sides of t

Malthinus occipitalis

Identification: Det. M. A. Quinn, 2010 Originally described from 3 female spmns from South Carolina, however no usable characters for identification of females have been found, thus it is not possible to interpret this species unequivocally.

Malthinus seriepunctatus

4-5mm. The greyish brown elytra bear a pair of yellow spots. Scutellum black at base next to the pronotum, with yellow at the apex (tip) but it is often hard to see much yellow. Pronotum yellow with an “hour glass” shaped dark mark along the length.

Malthodes atrocoeruleus 0

Malthodes atrocoeruleus

Identification: Atrocoeruleus to feebly aenecus; clypeus and mandibles obscurely paler, the basal two antennal segments pale beneath; pronotum flavous, the apical and basal margins widely darker; pubescence cinereous. Holotype, male; allotype, female

Malthodes greeni 0

Malthodes greeni

Identification: The male terminal modifications are entirely different from those of any other known North American species. It may be readily separated from any of our described species by its very deeply forked seventh ventral, a characteristic tha

Malthodes minimus

This small beetle is only 3-4mm long. The elytra are dark and usually yellow tipped, exposing part of the wings and abdomen beneath. There are fifteen species in the genus and they are very hard to separate. For males examination of the appendages at

Pacificanthia consors

common at lights in late spring & early summer; emits musty odor

Podabrus alpinus

Podabrus alpinus has a distinctive head shape with bulging eyes and a relatively long neck. Likes mixed, well wooded areas, and is attracted to Pine. Adults are active during June July and August Fairly frequent and widespread in Britain, except in t

Podabrus appendiculatus

Identification: black distal femora, bicolored antennomeres

Podabrus brevicollis

Podabrus brevicollis (Podabrus brevicollis) is a species in the family Cantharidae, commonly known as soldier beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Cantharinae, tribe Podabrini, suborder Polyphaga

Podabrus brimleyi

Author of this species, John Wagener Green (1889-1968), is a bit obscure. He was associated with the California Academy of Sciences and worked on Cantharidae and Lampyridae. See obituary .

Podabrus modestus

Podabrus modestus is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Podabrus pygmaeus

Podabrus pygmaeus is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Podabrus rugosulus

Identification: Cantharidae of e. Canada and ne. US

Tomentous Soldier Beetle

Podabrus tomentosus

Podabrus tomentosus is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Polemius binotatus

Identification: Head black behind antennae, pronotum orange with two black spots on either side of median, elytra black with grayish pubescence, legs orange with tarsi darker. Sides of pronotum incised in males. Holotype

Polemius laticornis

Identification: antennae stongly serrate in male, less serrate in female; pronotum lateral margins indented before middle, wider after the indentation, widest at base; elytra black usually with dark reddish humerus, divergent, lateral margins widest

Polemius limbatus

Identification: There is sexual dimorphism betweeen males and females, see .

Polemius repandus

Identification: Antennae filiform; pronotum black, with wide glossy reddish blotch betw. black central mark and yellow lateral margins; lateral margine bisinuate, widened posteriorly, widest at base; elytra black Variations: pronotum w black middle s

Rhagonycha cruralis

Rhagonycha cruralis is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Rhagonycha excavata

Identification: Slender, pronotum yellowish. Elytra blackish to yellowish. Blatchley , an older work, gives a description:

Common Red Soldier Beetle

Rhagonycha fulva

It has a red-orange body with a black tip. Often seen on umbelifer flowers, such as Hogweed and Cow Parsley. They are predatory on other insects visiting the flower they are resting on but also eat nectar and pollen. A very common beetle throughout m

Rhagonycha imbecillis

Identification: Cantharidae of e. Canada and ne. US

Rhagonycha lignosa

At 6 or 7 mm this is a small, slim beetle with entirely dark forebody and scutellum, pale golden; strongly granulate elytra and pale gold coloured legs. Mostly arboreal, and likely to be found in woodland borders, parkland and wasteland, but it may a

Rhagonycha lineola

Rhagonycha lineola (Rhagonycha lineola) is a species in the family Cantharidae, commonly known as soldier beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Cantharinae, tribe Cantharini, suborder Polyphaga, s

Rhagonycha longula

Rhagonycha longula is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Rhagonycha nanula

Rhagonycha nanula is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Rhagonycha nigriventris

Adults are small, 5 to 6 mm, but very distinctively coloured and so with a little practice should easily be identified in the field. Head black. Pronotum pale brown or reddish brown with a variable but characteristic dark central marking which does n

Rhagonycha oriflava

Identification: pronotum golden yellow with black central stripe; elytra dark brown to black with narrow golden yellow lateral and sutural margins variations: legs sometimes entirely black, elytra sutural margins sometimes dark Type Locality: New Ham

Rhagonycha scitula

Rhagonycha scitula is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Rhagonycha testacea

Length around 4-6 mm. Has a light golden elytra and a well-defined darker mark on the yellow-orange pronotum. The legs are entirely yellow. Preferring damper locations including wet woodland and marsh areas, but also found in gardens. Common and wide

Rhagonycha umbrina

Identification: Quoting the original description: "The broad subtruncate ungual tooth, totally black color and alutaceous pronotum with obtuse lateral margin will easily identify this species."

Rhagonycha walshi

Rhagonycha walshi is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Silis carmelita

Silis carmelita is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Silis insperata

Identification: Virtually indistinguishable from other members of the pallida group, other than in male genitalia

Silis ruficollis

A distinctive species being 6 to 7mm long with a black pronotum, and having the base of tibiae and mandibles red. The pronotum is deeply notched at the hind angles and coarsely punctate throughout. Each elytron has three slightly raised lines. Quite