Chauliognathus pensylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle)

Photograph taken by on Tuesday, September 01, 2020
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle)

Chauliognathus pensylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle)

This goldenrod soldier beetle, (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) is well camouflaged against the petals of the black-eyed Susan in our back yard. Often when looking for insects, it’s a matter of looking for motion, because they blend in so well with the background. I spotted this on after taking a few photos of a monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), also on the black-eyed Susans. They are starting to fade, but there will still be plenty of color for a while yet. One interesting thing about this beetle is that the species epithet, pensylvanicus, is the correct spelling and the version with a double n (i.e. pennsylvanicus) is incorrect.

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