Bug FAQGoldenrod Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Cantharidae
Also called: Soldier Beetle, Pennsylvania Leatherwing
Source: Wikipedia
Goldenrod soldier beetles are about 1.6 cm long and have an orangish-brown body with black patches and a horizontal dark spot on the pronotum. Adults are active in late summer, especially August, and are often seen on goldenrod flowers. They feed on soft-bodied insects such as grasshopper eggs and small caterpillars and do not damage plants or humans.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They are orangish-brown with distinct black patches and a horizontally elongated dark spot on the pronotum.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Goldenrod soldier beetles are harmless to humans and plants, so no control measures are needed.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Larvae live in leaf litter but can climb plants, while adults are diurnal and gather on flowers, especially goldenrods.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults reproduce once a year; larvae develop in leaf litter, pupate in early summer, and emerge as adults around July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, common in the Midwest, ranging from eastern and central Canada down to Florida and northern Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with the margined leatherwing, which is vertically elongated rather than horizontally.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia, Michigan, Indiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I expect to see goldenrod soldier beetles?
They are most common in late summer, especially in August.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell goldenrod soldier beetles apart from similar bugs?
They have a horizontal dark spot on the pronotum, while the similar margined leatherwing has a vertical elongation.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Cantharidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldenrod_soldier_beetle
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.