Chauliognathus lecontei
Soldier beetle. Arizona, USA.
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
Goldenrod soldier beetle on goldenrod. Urbana, Illinois, USA.
A soldier beetle catches an October sunset. Urbana, Illinois, USA
A mating pair of goldenrod soldier beetles, grubby with pollen. Vermilion River Observatory, Illinois, USA.
Chauliognathus lugubris
A plague soldier beetle (Cantharidae). Mt. Hotham, Victoria, Australia
A dense mating aggregation of plague soldier beetles, Chauliognathus lugubris, in the Australian alps. Mt. Hotham, Victoria, Australia
A mating aggregation of plague soldier beetles, Chauliognathus lugubris, in the Australian alps. Mt. Hotham, Victoria, Australia
Cantharidae
The distinctive velvety larva of a soldier beetle. Urbana, Illinois, USA.
Soldier beetles may look innocuous, but under that soft, fuzzy exterior lies a fierce predator. This one is killing and eating a male ant. Mindo, Pichincha, Ecuador.
Malthinus occipitalis
The yellow-tipped soldier beetle, one of North America's smallest but most distinct soldier beetles, is found in spring in the southeastern United States. Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Texas, USA.
Atalantycha bilineata
Atalantycha bilineata (Cantharidae) Urbana, Illinois, USA
Discodon planicolle
A firefly-mimicking soldier beetle. Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Texas, USA.
Rhagonycha
Look closely at the underside of this soldier beetle and you'll see a parasitic mite. High Falls State Park, Georgia, USA.
Podabrus
Urbana, Illinois, USA.
Diplostethus texanus
Click beetle feeding on Lantana. Dripping Springs, Texas, USA.
Elateridae
Solano County, California, USA.
Alaus oculatus
Eyed Elater. Illinois, USA.
A click beetle larva chews its way through a rotting log. Austin, Texas, USA.
Ptosima gibbicollis
On redbud (Cercis sp.). Urbana, Illinois, USA.
Acmaeodera
A small flower buprestid gets grubby with the relatively large grains of Winecup (Callirhoe) pollen. Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Texas, USA.
Acmaeodera neglecta
Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Texas, USA.
A buprestid beetle visits a spring dandelion. Konza Prairie, Kansas, USA.
Mastogenius
At only 2-3 millimeters in length, beetles in the genus Mastogenius are among North American's smallest buprestids. Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Texas, USA.
Brachys floricola
Gainesvillle, Florida, USA.
Calopteron
Net-winged beetle. Mindo, Pichincha, Ecuador.
Lycidae
A mating pair of net-winged beetles. Mindo, Pichincha, Ecuador
Lycus fernandezi
This nectar party on a desert milkweed includes a net-winged beetle and several smaller Lygaeid seed bugs. Note the pollinia attached to the beetle's fore tarsus. Portal, Arizona, USA.
Lycus simulans
A mating pair of netwinged beetles. Huachuca mountains, Arizona, USA.
A mating pair of netwinged beetles. Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, USA.
Phengodes
Male glow-worms are unusual beetles with short elytra and plumose antennae. Austin, Texas, USA.
Phengodidae
A male glowworm beetle. Paraná, Brazil.
Distremocephalus
Arizona, USA.
Rhipicera femorata
The amazing pectinate antennae of the cicada parasite beetle, Rhipicera femorata. Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, Australia.
Sandalus niger
Female (left) and male cicada parasite beetles, Sandalus niger. Urbana, Illinois, USA
Cicada parasite beetle (female). Urbana, Illinois, USA
Cicada parasite beetle (male). Urbana, Illinois, USA
Photinus pyralis
With the forewings are hardened as protective covers, beetles power flight using their hindwings. This is a firefly, Photinus pyralis. Urbana, Illinois, USA
Lampyridae
A firefly larva, using its abdomen as an extra "leg", walks across the rainforest floor. Cayo District, Belize.
A firefly larva is armored for protection against predators. Champaign, Illinois, USA
