Identification
• Soldier beetles resemble fireflies, but the pronotum (1st segment of thorax) is smaller than the head, so the head is visible from above. They do not have light-producing organs.

Host Range
• Adults are found on flowers and foliage where they eat pollen, nectar, and soft-bodied insects, such as aphids.
• The predatory larvae are found on damp ground or beneath bark or other objects. They eat soft-bodied insects, such as maggots, small caterpillars, and grasshopper eggs.

Life cycle
• Soldier beetles have complete metamorphosis. The larvae are covered with dense bristles that give the appearance of velvet.