#soldier beetles

[ljsbugblog]

Various C. flavipennis individuals, getting busy in the warmer weather.

No common name, multiple individuals (Chauliognathus flavipennis).

[bitsandbirds]

Nyoom!

Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva), Ireland

[rattyexplores]

The Soldier Beetles I Found

Photos 1-2 - Chauliognathus tricolor Photos 3-4 - Chauliognathus lugubris

20/03/23

[benvironment]

I'm not saying it's a bad life but……it's ALL they do! 😆

[oldmanbayou]

Episode 1's bonus episode about Sarge.

[garden-and-friends]

pollinator friends!

[ratxbones]

Maybe engie bee with Solly? Helmet party or not whichever you prefer ^_^ You're artstyle is gorgeous btw!!

thank you!! have some bugs :]

[hellsitegenetics]

they shall save us

the one

the only

the almighty

behold our savior

amazing

grand

perfect

can you not see?

you see things like them where most cannot.

so behold.

our savior.

they will bathe the world in their glory

String identified: t a a

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tg t t cat.

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Closest match: Rhagonycha lutea genome assembly, chromosome: 6 Common name: Soldier beetle

[unkn0wnvariable]

Red Soldier Beetle

A red soldier beetle feeding on an ox-eye daisy flower, at Grafham Water.

[vandaliatraveler]

Some folks follow the backcountry trails to the mountain laurel when it blooms in the spring. But my heart will always follow a path straight to the common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), a fantastically beautiful native shrub in the Rose family that blooms in synch with mountain laurel in late May/early June. The plant produces masses of white flowers with orange centers and extravagantly-protruding stamens, reminiscent of those of our native Spiraeas, to which ninebark is closely related. This fast-growing shrub with spreading, arching branches gets its name from multiple layers of exfoliating bark, most apparent and striking when the plant sheds its beautiful, orange-yellow foliage in the fall. Finally, as you can see in the photos above, ninebark is a miraculous pollinator plant, drawing in hordes of bees, butterflies, and beetles, including the ever-gorgeous (and apparently horny) goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus).

Photos from the Deckers Creek Trail in Preston County.

[the-stove-is-divorced]

If Scarlet Scarab has no fans, then that means I am no longer on earth. Favorite morally questionable little guy. He existed for one episode and I remember him to this day. Behold my boy.

[wanderingmind867]

Everytime I read about Black Panther or Nighthawk or Daredevil, one prevailing thought comes to me: can we erase Batman from existence? He offers nothing theze other three don't do infinitely better! Nighthawk does the rich playboy vigilante story way better, Daredevil is a man with a disability who is also infinitely funnier (and thus more fun than batman), while Black Panther is just an all around honourable man who teaches high school kids, refuses to start fights with the mentally ill, and is all around a kind and decent human being.

But even DC has their own stolen characters! Characters like Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle! Blue Beetle belongs with Daredevil, Nighthawk and the Black Panther! We now have a quartet of characters who are infinitely better than batman, and deserve to rip him limb from limb and steal his spotlight!

[alcnfr]

I believe a Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) has opened an Abattoir in this Magnolia Blossom...

[ancientstarrydynamo]

Some friends I made at the community garden

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Common Red Soldier Beetle - Rhagonycha fulva

Just like a few years ago, a small section of partial wilderness in my neighborhood continues to play host to many mating pairs of Common Red Solider Beetle. When otherwise unoccupied, these diligent insects will crawl along and fly among the many flowers and buds here (including thistle buds). While some individuals are keen to hang around, dozens of individuals in this area were on patrol for soft-bodied insects to eat, such as small Caterpillars and Aphids. That in mind, the Plagiognathus Plant Bug specie seen in Pictures 1, 4 and 7 shouldn't let its guard down completely. This is of course, adult behavior, as the larvae of this Soldier Beetle feed on other plant-visiting animals such as hungry mollusks. As they visit flowers, it's worth mentioning that the diet of the adults also includes nectar and pollen, hence them diving headfirst into some of these flowers. Based on these pictures, I'm mindful of a point I brought in the previous point, where I wondered how/if these insects could serve as pollinating insects. Research supports that these Beetles play a role in pollination of certain flowers, but I wonder how that role varies across different types of flowers.

Flowers come in all shapes, sizes and configurations, and all area designed to work with some range of pollinators. So how might our Common Red friends here potentially pollinate the more open faced flowers and tipped thistle flowers in these images? The Beetle's bodies don't appear as suited for the adherence and transfer of pollen (compared to other pollinators), but they don't make direct contact with the flower's face. With how the insect travels, pollen may be transferred if some bits are caught on the Beetle's feet or from their mandibles as they go in for a nectar reward. Honestly, I think I'll need to revisit these Beetles next year when they return during the summer months. When I do, I'll observe them more carefully and see where pollen collects along their body and see how it makes contact with another flower. Regretfully, while they were many to behold when I photographed them, there were far less 2 weeks later, as their adult lives aren't long. Do not misunderstand however, these Beetles can be seen as adults all summer long, so some individuals may be airborne for a month or so, and securing mates when possible. And as it was before, the females continue to be distinctly larger than the males.

Pictures were taken on July 1, 2024 with a Google Pixel 4.

[jenfoundabug]

Soldier beetle in genus Podabrus

Northern California