{"id":5106,"date":"2025-08-05T10:40:46","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T10:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pawel.stefanoff.pl\/bugs\/?p=5106"},"modified":"2026-09-20T08:13:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T08:13:08","slug":"2025-08-how-the-soldier-beetle-earned-its-stripes-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pawel.stefanoff.pl\/bugs\/posts\/2025-08-how-the-soldier-beetle-earned-its-stripes-en\/","title":{"rendered":"The crimson battalion: How the &#8220;soldier beetle&#8221; earned its stripes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soldier beetles (family <em>Cantharidae<\/em>) are slender, soft-bodied insects affectionately known as &#8220;leatherwings.&#8221; They earned their common name from early British naturalists who thought the beetles&#8217; vibrant red, orange, and yellow markings closely resembled the historic uniforms of their military. While this striking soldier beetle feeds primarily on nectar and pollen, it is also an active predator of small insects, playing a major role in naturally controlling aphid populations. To protect themselves, soldier beetles can exude noxious, foul-tasting chemical compounds from their bodies when threatened, making them highly unpalatable to predators like birds. I encountered this stunning beetle, likely belonging to the subfamily <em>Silinae<\/em>, during a walk in the city park of Puyo, a beautiful town resting on the edge of the Ecuadorian Amazon.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soldier beetles (family Cantharidae) are slender, soft-bodied insects affectionately known as &#8220;leatherwings.&#8221; They earned their common name from early British 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