Cantharidae is a family of beetles in the order Coleoptera commonly known as soldier beetles, described by Imhoff in 1856 and also called leatherwings for their soft elytra. The family is cosmopolitan in distribution and relatively soft bodied with straight sided bodies; the common name soldier beetle comes from an early described species whose color pattern recalled the red coats of British soldiers. Adults commonly feed on nectar and pollen and also prey on other small insects.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Era First Appeared Classification
Living or Extinct Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ514243, descriptionView the Source 2. Cantharidae (Wikipedia)
Introduction
The soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles.
- Taxonomic rank (structure-wave classification, ruling 761/926)
View the Source3. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Cantharidae
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Cantharidae" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 113.2 ... "early_interval": "Albian"
Wikidata: Cantharidae
Wikidata Q514243, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Soldier beetle (Wikipedia)
In Group: Other Beetle Families (Polyphaga), LeadQuote, In Group: Other Beetle Families (Polyphaga), Lead
The soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles.
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