Rhagonycha recta is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae.

Typically, they are dark brown to black with yellow to yellow-brown margins on the pronotum and elytra, though a dark form with mostly or entirely black pronotum and/or elytra occurs, especially among more northern specimens.

Legs may be entirely dark barring yellow knees, or may have entirely yellowish tibiae and tarsi.

Antennae are 60 (in females) to 70 (in males) percent of body length, which ranges from 5 to 7 mm.

[4] The species is found in Canada and the United States, with a preference for maple forests, forest edges, and shrubby open areas.