Good Soldiers

They're good soldiers, those soldier beetles.

Members of the family Cantharidae, they are beneficial insects that eat other insects, especially aphids and caterpillars--but just about any soft-bodied insect will do. If no insects are available, you'll see them dining on nectar and pollen.

We saw these soldier beetles, with their long, narrow reddish-orange bodies and  brownish-gray wing covers, on our rose bushes this morning.

As aphids scooted up and down the steps and leaves, so did the soldier beetles. Three formed a "troop" in a three-gun salute.

California is fortunate to have more than 100 species of these "soldiers of fortune." They're also called leather-winged beetles or leatherwings. Check out their long, threadlike antennae.

If you see soldier beetles in your garden, savor them. They're the good guys.

Please pass the aphids.