# Wrinkled Soldier Beetle

*Podabrus rugosulus*

Unlike most beetles with rigid, armored shells, soldier beetles have soft, flexible wing covers, earning them the common nickname 'leatherwings'.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Cantharidae › Podabrus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous forests, woodland margins, meadows, and suburban gardens
- **Diet:** Aphids, thrips, small caterpillars, pollen, and nectar
- **Range:** North America, Temperate woodlands
- **Size:** 8 to 13 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 1 year (adults live 2-4 weeks)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Widespread chemical pesticide use in agricultural and residential areas, and loss of native understory plants.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans. These beetles do not sting and will not bite unless pinched or handled roughly. They can be safely observed at close range. If handled, wash hands afterward as they can secrete a harmless but foul-tasting defensive chemical.

## About

Podabrus rugosulus is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/bf97f9a3-3aa9-472b-97f5-4e618abf4094
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/228444
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podabrus rugosulus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/255568080/medium.jpg (Ilona, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.