A Podabrus soldier beetle hides away in the leafy folds of an understory plant in an eastern deciduous forest. Soldier beetles (family Cantharidae) are predators of other arthropods.
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D
ISO 100, 1/250 sec, f13, flash diffused through tracing paper
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Looking like a trilobite, or perhaps a mutant millipede, a heavily armored beetle larva crawls through the leaf litter in an Illinois forest.  This predaceous insect belongs to the family Lycidae Lampyridae, the net-winged beetles fireflies.
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a…
Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus
Goldenrod Soldier Beetles
Illinois, USA
Here at Myrmecos Blog we aim for a family-friendly atmosphere. Except for beetle sex. Sometimes we just can't resist.
(There's also plant sex going on here too, if you're into that sort of thing...)
Photo details: Canon MP-E…
A velvet mite forages over a rotting log in Urbana, Illinois.
I don't photograph all that many mites, but if these miniature arachnids are your thing you should visit Macromite's amazing mite blog.
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D
ISO 100, 1/250 sec, f13, flash…
Female (left) and male Sandalus niger Cicada Parasite Beetles
Sandalus niger is one of the oddest beetles in eastern North America. While most parasitic insects are concentrated in other orders- notably Hymenoptera and Diptera- Coleoptera contains relatively few parasites. But there are a few…
That's what they're called! Thank you! I've got like a hundred of them out in the garden.
A predator soldier. That's why he wears this black and golden armor...Tks!!!
Are they good for the garden? I can't find more info - but have a huge amount of them flying around my pines and ornamental plum trees.