SOLDIER BEETLE
Podabrus flavicollis
SOLDIER BEETLES (Cantharidae)
This beetle is about 10-12mm (1/2 inch) long. It has light brown elytra with a reddish-yellow neck. This beetle was identified by entomologists Tony Plamer and Alex Harmon.
It is fairly common in prairies and meadows and is common on foliage. Its occurrence in Fontenelle Forest is not known.
Upon hatching in the summer, larvae live and feed underneath the loose bark of decaying trees. As they grow, larvae shed their skins several times before pupating. Adults emerge during the summer.
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