These beetles become very abundant in late summer and early autumn. As their name implies, they are fond of goldenrod flowers, but they are also common on asters and other late-blooming flowers. In addition to pollen and nectar, the adult beetles eat aphids and other herbivorous insects, so these beetles are a gardener’s friend. The larvae are also predaceous, feeding on the eggs and larvae of other insects.

Chauliognathus pensylvanicus (yes, spelled with no double "n"s, a leftover from the 18th century when De Geer described the species. Under the rules of zoological nomenclature, the original spelling cannot be "updated")

Other species in this family have red markings like British soldiers, hence the name.