Our insect of the week for May 11, 2026 is the beetle, Podabrus flavicollis [COLEOPTERA: Cantharidae]. This is sometimes referred to as the yellow necked soldier beetle. This species was described by the American entomologist John Lawrence LeConte in 1851. He described roughly half of the known insect fauna of the US during his lifetime. This included roughly 5,000 species of beetles.. These beetles are often observed on vegetation where they feed on nectar, pollen and small insects.

I chose to highlight this species because not a lot is known about the genus. Next time you are in prairie areas, look for the beetle and observe what it is doing. As far as I know little is known about the life cycle. The specimen in the photo was collected by me in 2008 in central Illinois. Next time you are in prairie areas, look for the beetle and observe what it is doing. As far as I know little is known about the life cycle. The specimen in the photo was collected by me in 2008.