banner


Line
Languages:                                
English / engels    
Dutch / nederlands

Line

[All pictures of garden wildlife on this page are thumbnails. Click on any thumbnail for a large format to be displayed.]

Line

Soldier Beetles (Cantharidae)

Soldier Beetles are also called Soft-winged beetles, because of the softness of their shields. When you look at them vertically you can see that the soldier beetles are called that way because they really do remind one of old fashioned soldier uniforms. There are over 50 species in the Low Countries. Many species are very similar and therefore difficult to tell apart. Often you can find them sunbasking on flowers. The adults eat other insects. In some casese they hunt for prey, but most eat animals that are already dead. The larvae hunt for snails, slugs and worms on the ground, even though there are some vegetarians among them.


Hogweed Bonking Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

The Hogweed Bonking Beetle is often seen mating on umbellifers. More...


Cantharis decipiens

Cantharis decipiens is a smaller nephew of the Hogwood Bonking Beetle. More...


Cantharis livida

Cantharis livida comes in two colours: yellowish and reddish. More...





Cantharis rufa

Cantharis rufa is just one of the red Soldier Beetles. More...


Cantharis fusca

This soldier beetle is almost all black. More...


Cantharis pellucida

Cantharis pellucida is just one of the Sailor Beetles. More...


Cantharis obscura / Cantharis paradoxa

Cantharis obscura and Cantharis paradoxa are almost entirely black. More...


Line



Line
        © Copyright 1998-2024 gardensafari.net (Hania Berdys)