What kind of food does a plague soldier beetle eat?
The Plague Soldier Beetle is omnivorous, feeding on other insects and plants. The larvae live on the ground and prey on other insects. When handled, the Plague Soldier Beetle releases poisonous chemicals as a deterrent to predators.
Is the plague soldier beetle harmful to plants?
But ten thousand of them festooning a tree are bound to raise alarm. Yet the insect in question won’t harm either you or your plants. It is still something of a mystery why the Plague soldier beetle (Chauliognathus lugubris), a native species found in temperate southeastern Australia, occasionally builds up to massive numbers.
What kind of beetle is a Chauliognathus?
Chauliognathus is a genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae.
Where are green and yellow plague soldier beetles found?
It’s still a mystery why the green and yellow Plague Soldier Beetle, found in temperate southeastern Australia, occasionally builds up to massive numbers. An unfamiliar yellow and green beetle with a soft body may be a source of curiosity if it turns up in your garden.
Where does the plague soldier beetle live in Australia?
A Plague Soldier Beetle, Chauliognathus lugubris It is still something of a mystery why the Plague soldier beetle (Chauliognathus lugubris), a native species found in temperate southeastern Australia, occasionally builds up to massive numbers. Its grubs live in the soil, feeding on other small creatures.
The Plague Soldier Beetle is omnivorous, feeding on other insects and plants. The larvae live on the ground and prey on other insects. When handled, the Plague Soldier Beetle releases poisonous chemicals as a deterrent to predators.
What kind of damage does soldier beetle do?
The type of damage beetles cause when they eat foliage or petals is characteristic – they eat holes or bite bits off the edge. This type of damage has never been associated with Soldier Beetle swarms, so I said in the blog that the beetles ‘don’t seem to eat the plants they settle on’.
How does the soldier beetle protect its eggs?
The soldier beetle also secretes the same chemical in a wax form to protect it’s eggs against infection. Our researchers have recently found the genes that give the chemical its anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties, and were able to replicate the synthesis in the lab.
