The Buprestidae is a large family of beetles with some 15,000 species, divided into 450 genera, most of these are tropical but about 120 are resident in Europe.
The soldier beetles, Cantharidae, are relatively soft-bodied, straight sided beetles. They are an important biological control for aphids, caterpilars, grasshoppers, and other soft bodied pests.
The beetles in this family are commonly known as leaf beetles. The family has over 35,000 species and 2,500 genra. many in this family are significant agricultural pests such as the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), the asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi), and the cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus).
The beetles include many familiar insects such as Ladybirds, Scarabs, and the Click beetles. These insects have a hardening of the forewings to form an elytra which protects the hind wings as well as the abdomen.
