Soldier beetle

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Soldier beetles
File:Chauliognathus lugubris.jpg
Chauliognathus lugubris
Scientific classification
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Cantharidae

Imhoff, 1856
Genera

Many, see text

Synonyms

Chauliognathidae

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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.

Selected genera

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File:Malthodes - 2013-07-12.webm
Soldier beetle filmed in Hesse, Germany

References

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External links

  1. Phillips, C., et al. Leatherwing (Soldier) Beetles. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. 2013.