Posts Tagged: soldier beetles

'Garden Allies': Everything in Your Garden Has a Place

Don't ask if the insects you find in your garden are "good bugs or bad bugs." Everything in your garden has a place, and your place should be a...

A lady beetle and her eggs in a Vacaville garden. Everything in nature is connected, says Frédérique Lavoipierre. If you have no aphids, no lady beetles or soldier beetles for you. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A lady beetle and her eggs in a Vacaville garden. Everything in nature is connected, says Frédérique Lavoipierre. If you have no aphids, no lady beetles or soldier beetles for you. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A soldier beetle (family Cantharida) feasts on aphids but is often mistaken as a "bad bug." This image was taken in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A soldier beetle (family Cantharida) feasts on aphids but is often mistaken as a "bad bug." This image was taken in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Red Coats Are Coming

The Red Coats are coming. The Red Coats are coming. No, not an army of soldiers. Soldier beetles. These insects (family Cantharida) resemble the...

A soldier beetle (family Cantharida) looks out over a milkweed in search of more aphids. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A soldier beetle (family Cantharida) looks out over a milkweed in search of more aphids. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Love Bugs

"You can never be too rich, too young, too blonde or too thin," a quote often attributed to Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.Well, you can never...

Ladybugs and soldier beetles--along with aphids--on a plum tree. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ladybugs and soldier beetles--along with their prey, aphids--on a plum tree. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Fast-moving soldier beetle crawls toward a pair of ladybugs on a plum tree. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Fast-moving soldier beetle crawls toward a pair of ladybugs on a plum tree. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ladybug eggs mean more ladybugs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ladybug eggs mean more ladybugs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Leather Wings

Some call them "soldier beetles."Some call them "leather-winged beetles."Some call them "Cantharids" (family Cantharidae).Whatever you call them, be...

Soldier Beetle

SOLDIER BEETLE, perched on a plum tree leaf, checks it surroundings. It's an avid aphid-eater. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ready for Flight

SOLDIER BEETLE opens its wings, ready to take flight. This insect is also called a "leather-winged beetle" or a Cantharid (from family Cantharidae).(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Look Ma, No Aphids!

Got aphids? The important work that soldier beetles (family Cantharidae) do is never more exemplified than in the "before" and...

Before

BEFORE the soldier beetles came to visit, aphids clustered on the rose bushes to suck out plant juices. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

After

AFTER the soldier beetles came to visit, they cleaned off the aphids (with the help of a few ladybugs). "Look, Ma! No aphids!" (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Lone soldier beetle

SOLITARY soldier beetle scours for aphids on a rose leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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