There are 16 genera and 455 species of Cantharidae in North America.
Family Cantharidae, commonly called soldier beetles or leatherwings, are soft-bodied, often brightly colored insects known for their aggregating on flowers. They are distributed worldwide, with some 5,000 species in 135 genera. They are slow, lumbering fliers and easily caught; not surprisingly, they have chemical defenses which make up for these apparent evolutionary shortcomings.
Unlike many other beetles, which have a pair of defensive glands at the tip of their abdomen, the soldier beetles have paired glands in the prothorax and on each of their first eight abdominal segments. When molested, the beetle emits droplets of white viscous fluid from pores along their sides.
Soldier beetles get their name from the military uniform-like markings on some species. A common and easily-spotted species is the Pennsylvania leatherwing, which is yellow with one large black spot on each wing.
Adult females lay their eggs in clusters in the soil. The larvae are velvety, covered with dense bristles, and have antenna-like projections on their head. Most larvae are carnivorous, feeding on insects in the soil. Larvae overwinter in damp soil mast, leaf litter and loose bark.
This soldier beetle's elytra (hardened wing-covers) are held outwards to allow the soft flying wings to function.