http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2009/02/09/mating-soldier-beetles-from-colorado-probably-colorado-soldier-beetles/ Are we experts yet? Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:43:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2009/02/09/mating-soldier-beetles-from-colorado-probably-colorado-soldier-beetles/comment-page-1/#comment-10041 snethen Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:10:48 +0000 http://www.whatsthatbug.com/?p=14501#comment-10041 Please disregard the previous post...I think they might be C. basalis. Please disregard the previous post…I think they might be C. basalis.

]]> http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2009/02/09/mating-soldier-beetles-from-colorado-probably-colorado-soldier-beetles/comment-page-1/#comment-10039 snethen Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:31:15 +0000 http://www.whatsthatbug.com/?p=14501#comment-10039 This copulating pair of soldier beetles is most likely C. pennsylvanicus and not C. basalis. The color and elytral markings are much more consistent with that of C. pennsylvanicus and do not resemble those of C. basalis. See the image from the Mating Pennsylvania Leatherwings post of Dec. 16, 2006 and you will see that these two images represent the same beetle species. I grew up collecting copulating C. pennsulvanicus from wild sunflowers in SD and have seen thousands of them. This copulating pair of soldier beetles is most likely C. pennsylvanicus and not C. basalis. The color and elytral markings are much more consistent with that of C. pennsylvanicus and do not resemble those of C. basalis. See the image from the Mating Pennsylvania Leatherwings post of Dec. 16, 2006 and you will see that these two images represent the same beetle species. I grew up collecting copulating C. pennsulvanicus from wild sunflowers in SD and have seen thousands of them.

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