Soldier beetle
| Soldier beetles | |
|---|---|
| |
| Chauliognathus lugubris | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Family: | Cantharidae Imhoff, 1856
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| Genera | |
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Many, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
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Chauliognathidae | |
The soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles, related to the Lampyridae or firefly family, but unable to produce light. 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
- Absidia
- Absidiella
- Asilis
- Athemus
- Bactrocantharis
- Belotus
- Caccodes
- Cantharis
- Chauliognathus
- Compsonycha
- Cordylocera
- Crudosilis
- Dichelotarsus
- Discodon
- Frostia
- Hatchiana
- Ichthyurus
- Kandyosilis
- Laemoglyptus
- Lycocerus
- Malthinellus
- Malthinus
- Malthodes
- Malthomethes
- Metacantharis
- Microichthyurus
- Micropodabrus
- Mimopolemius
- Neoontelus
- Phytononus
- Plectonotum
- Podabrinus
- Podabrus
- Podosilis
- Polemius
- Prosthaptus
- Prothemus
- Pseudoabsidia
- Rhagonycha
- Silis
- Sogdocantharis
- Sphaerarthrum
- Symphyomethes
- Telephorus
- Themus
- Troglomethes
- Tryphenis
- Trypherus
- Tylocerus
- Tytthonyx
References
- ^ Phillips, C., et al. Leatherwing (Soldier) Beetles. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. 2013.
External links
