Soldier beetles have a four-stage lifecycle.
Egg Stage
During the egg stage, female soldier beetles lay their small, oval-shaped eggs in concealed places like soil, leaf litter, or under bark. These eggs usually hatch within a week or two, depending on environmental conditions.
Larvae Stage
Upon hatching, the larvae emerge and begin their quest for food. They are carnivorous and actively hunt for prey like small insects and insect eggs, keeping your garden pest-free. During this stage, the larva undergoes a series of molts as it grows bigger, shedding its old exoskeleton to make room for its expanding body.
Pupa Stage
As the soldier beetle larva reaches its maximum size, it enters the pupa stage of metamorphosis. Encased in a protective cocoon, the larva transforms into an adult soldier beetle. This pupation process typically takes a couple of weeks.
Adult Stage
Once the metamorphosis is complete, the adult soldier beetle emerges from its pupal case. In this stage, both males and females actively search for mates to continue the life cycle. Adult soldier beetles feed on nectar, pollen, and small insects, and they play a vital role in controlling garden pests. After mating, the adult beetles will live for a few more weeks before dying.
To summarize:
- Egg Stage: Female lays small, oval-shaped eggs
- Larvae Stage: Carnivorous larva grows and molts
- Pupa Stage: Transformation in a protective cocoon
- Adult Stage: Mating and pest control
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These things are everywhere around my home!
Not Podisus. This is Euschistus. Probably the species tristigmus.
Thanks. Since we are not familiar, is it the same family?
Not Podisus. This is in Euschistus. See http://bugguide.net/node/view/550910
Thanks for the correction. We will try to add to posting.
Yep. Both are Pentatomids. Different subfamilies though. Podisus are predatory, Euschistus feed on plants.
Looks like it might be a larval soldier beetle (Cantharidae) of some kind. The two spots on the little fellow’s head may be a distinguishing mark, but the only photos I’m finding right now of similar specimens are unidentified. Maybe someone else could find something more specific on it. . .
I have many of these all over my Artichoke plants and am pleased to know that they are beneficial and not a threat. I was concerned as I have many Artichokes growing in the yard. Thanx for the help….
We have just begun noticing them at our porch light, a yearly occurrence in our Mount Washington, Los Angeles neighborhood. You did not provide a location, but we are guessing you are also in California.
‘Tis the season for brown leatherwings! My backyard (in Sonoma County) is fairly well stocked with them right now. I’m always pleased when they show up.
I’m always happy to see those guys show up in the garden.
We are noticing a bug that looks like a brown leatherwing bug in abundance that flies and crawls
and also looks like it is mating as we often see them ajoined.
We have been told it is called some kind of a BOX—— beatle
Do you know where they have come from and what they do to gardens. Also what can we do to rid ourselves of them as you cannot sit outside without at least 10 or 12 crawling on you patio at one time. Please help us as we love to sit outside. Thankyou Marny
We are noticing a bug that looks like a brown leatherwing bug in abundance that flies and crawls
and also looks like it is mating as we often see them ajoined.
We have been told it is called some kind of a BOX—— beatle
Do you know where they have come from and what they do to gardens. Also what can we do to rid ourselves of them as you cannot sit outside without at least 10 or 12 crawling on you patio at one time. Please help us as we love to sit outside. Thankyou Marny
These are two separate species with similar appearance. Stink bugs were introduced to the U.S. in the 1990s. See https://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg80.html
I found these guys all over my Joe Pye weed this year — thousands of them, most of them mating. They don’t seem to be hurting anything, so I just hand-picked them into soapy water, just in case they were harmful. Have never seen them before this year. I’m in Northeast/North central Iowa. Anything else you know about them?
They are a beneficial species and you should not be killing them with soapy water. According to BugGuide: “Adult: pollen and nectar of fall flowers, esp. goldenrod (Solidago)(2); larvae feed on locust eggs, insect larvae, cucumber beetles, and other Diabrotica spp.”
It’s an unusually warm spring this year in Ojai, California. It was 90 degrees yesterday. I had one of these in the house last night. Glad to know I have some good things happening in my garden and that it won’t bite me!
Though we generally get Brown Leatherwings attracted to our porch light each spring in Los Angeles, they have not yet appeared this year despite four record breaking days in the low nineties.
I think I found one of these in my garden … I kill any and all stink bugs but knew there was a predatory “stink bug” that I didn’t want to kill. When I grabbed it to look at it, I noticed it did not emit an odor … I released it. Do these “stink bugs” not stink?
We don’t know. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide an answer and we will attempt to research the answer as well.
Thank you so much for the quick response! What a funny little bug! This is such a great resource as I like to refrain from eliminating beneficial bugs from my garden as much as possible. Thanks again!!!
lots of soldier beetles feeding (?) and copulating on cow parsley here in West of Ireland peat soil.
Someone must have seen red soldiers bonking on Cow Parsley and thought it was Hog Weed, which looks almost identical, or it actually was Hog Weed. Both weeds grow very tall, but Hog Weed is called Giant Hog Weed, and is toxic in all of its parts, to humans, at least. Maybe the bug feels safe enough to relax and copulate on such a protective plant.