Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Goldenrod Soldier Beetle

By: Tom Berg

Beetles are among the most common insect species on Earth.  In fact, there are over 400,000 species of beetles known today, and those are just the species we know about right now.  More species are being discovered and named every year.  One interesting group of beetles is the Soldier Beetles.  Believe it or not, there are more than 5,000 species of soldier beetles in the world, with at least 100 species here in North America.

One of those species is the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle.  This beetle can be found throughout eastern North America, from Florida all the way north into Canada.  It is also found in the central plains states of Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma (and a couple of other states), and it is one of the most common species of soldier beetle in the Midwest.  Their population peaks in late summer when goldenrod and other late summer flowers are blooming.

Goldenrod soldier beetles are orange and black, with two distinct elongated black spots on their wings.  Their head, legs and antennae are black, also, and they are about a half inch long.  Their orange color helps them blend in with the orange and yellow flowers that they often visit.  Goldenrod is a favorite (hence their name), but marigolds, zinnias, black-eyed Susan and butterfly bush are also commonly visited plants.

The goldenrod soldier beetles visit these flowers to feed on the nectar and pollen, and they also sometimes catch and eat smaller insects like aphids that are visiting the same flowers.  Late summer and early fall is also when these beetles find mates for breeding, and it is common to see mating beetles on the flowers as well.

Goldenrod soldier beetles do not sting and they do not bite, so they are harmless to humans.  They also do not harm the flowers they visit, and they are actually helpful as pollinators.  Although their body shape resembles a lightning bug, these beetles do not have any light-producing organs.  Like many other soldier beetles, goldenrod soldier beetles can produce a defensive chemical that helps protect them from predators by making them taste bad.  They are cool critters!

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