Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
Cantharidae
Also called the Pennsylvania Leatherwing. Yellow-orange with a distinct black spot on each wing cover. Common on goldenrod in August and September — you'll see them by the dozens. Adults pollinate; larvae are ferocious predators of aphids, caterpillar eggs, and grasshopper eggs. A beetle that does two beneficial jobs simultaneously.
How to spot one.
About 0.5 inch long
Yellow-orange elytra (wing covers) with a black spot on each
Soft, leathery wing covers — not hard-shelled like most beetles
Long antennae
Almost always found on goldenrod, boneset, or sunflowers in late summer
How it lives.
Adults feed on nectar and pollen, mostly on late-summer composites. Larvae live in leaf litter and soil, hunting aphids, caterpillars, and grasshopper eggs. Secrete a chemical (cantharidin analog) that makes them unpalatable to predators.
The spec sheet.
- Type
- Beetle
- Active
- August – October
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- abundant
- Family
- Cantharidae
What it needs.
Plants this species visits, feeds on, or depends on. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Nectar source
Nectar source
Boneset, sunflower, black-eyed Susan
Nectar source
Florida Wildflower Foundation · Metro Parks Toledo · Xerces Society