by Nanette Londeree, Master Rosarian
SIGNS
- Adult insects that are slender, relatively flat, about 1/2 inch in length with a red, orange or yellow head and abdomen and black, gray or brown soft wing covers
- Larvae that are flat and dark-colored and covered with hairs that give them a “velvety” appearance
SYMPTOMS
- Adults observed feeding on aphids, mealybugs or other soft-bodied insects or on pollen or nectar on flowering shrubs and trees
- Larvae feeding under bark or in soil or litter, primarily on eggs and larvae of small insects, worms, slugs and snails, butterflies and moths
CAUSE
One of the many species of soldier beetles (over 100 in California), Family Cantharidae
OPTIMAL CONDITIONS / HABITS
- Larvae – leaf litter and other damp locations that are close to the soil
- Adults – spring through summer, flowers with pollen or nectar, particularly yellow flowers late in the season
- Increase populations by planting good nectar or pollen producing plants such as Asclepias or Solidago
TREATMENT
Prevention:
None – these insects should be encouraged with diverse plantings of nectar and pollen producing plants
Elimination:
- None – you don’t want to eliminate these from the garden
- If found in the house, either capture and relocate them outside, or vacuum them up
GOOD GUY / BAD GUY?
- Definitely a good guy
- Nicknamed “leatherwings” because their soft, cloth-like, brightly colored wing covers are reminiscent of uniforms, these are insects you’d like to see in the garden