A beneficial insect popping up in many area gardens is the Soldier beetle, also called the Pennsylvania Leather-wing. This soft-bodied beetle is about 1/2" long, with an elongated body, golden or yellowish-brown in color and has black markings on the legs, head, underside and rear abdomen section.

You are likely to find soldier beetles on and near linden trees, which flower in June.

The adults feed on pollen, flower nectar and other small insects while the larva feed on small caterpillars, grasshopper eggs and other beetles. Their eggs are laid in the soil and the whitish, flattened and hairy larvae feed at the surface of the soil. There are two generations of Soldier beetle per season.

Soldier beetles do not bite or sting. Simply brush them away.

Large numbers of beneficial predatory insects can usually be found in areas or on plants with high populations of harmful insects like aphids. When the harmful insects are gone, the predatory insects will leave also. Before applying insecticide in the garden, be sure to identify the target insects first so that beneficial garden helpers are preserved.

 

Source: Beneficial Garden Insects. For more information, visit Horticulture Paradise