Cantharis Nigricans (soldier beetle) – late May 2023

Whilst we were looking for green weevils and aphids in our orchard we came across this unusual beetle. We have never come across this beetle before. In checking up, we are pretty sure it is Cantharis Nigricans (soldier beetle) native to Europe.

But we were unsure if it was a pest or a good guy.

Typical habitats are established grassland and scrub with varied herbaceous vegetation. Adults are diurnal and predatory, hunting out small insects etc. The species (along with various other cantharids) are a significant predator of pest insects in agricultural settings, especially of various aphids. Both adults and larvae are carnivorous, but they will both occasionally feed on plants. So these are generally good guys then.