Common Red Soldier Beetle

Rhagonycha fulva

The Common Red Soldier Beetle is a bright red insect that loves to be outside in the sunshine. They are often seen on flowers, where they help pollinate plants while looking for food.

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The Common Red Soldier Beetle has a vibrant orange or red body with soft, flexible wing cases and a black head and legs. Its long, slender antennae help it sense its surroundings. It is easily identified by its distinctive bright colouration and velvety appearance, unlike hard-shelled ladybugs.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungColeopteraFamilieCantharidaeGattungRhagonycha

Common Red Soldier Beetle

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Despite their soft look, their jaws are surprisingly strong for grabbing small insect prey!

Their larvae live hidden underground, hunting tiny creatures and even helping decompose dead matter!

They are often called 'The Lovers' because you frequently spot pairs mating on flowers!

When startled, they sometimes drop to the ground and stay perfectly still, playing dead!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Common Red Soldier Beetles can eat garden pests like aphids, helping plants stay healthy by controlling infestations.

Common Red Soldier Beetles can release a foul-smelling liquid to deter predators, helping them escape danger.

Common Red Soldier Beetles have long antennae to help them find mates and flowers for nectar and pollen.

Common Red Soldier Beetles carry pollen between flowers as they feed, helping plants reproduce naturally.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 18-24 mm
Größe: 8-10 mm
Lebenserwartung: 30-60 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 5 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

These beetles munch on small insects like aphids and also enjoy sweet pollen and nectar from flowers.

Altersunterschiede: Larvae are primarily predatory, living in soil and feeding on small invertebrates; adults consume insects, pollen, and nectar.

Hauptnahrung

Aphids
Pollen
Nectar
Small caterpillars
Other soft-bodied insects

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

hunts

Black Bean Aphid

Aphis fabae

for protein and sustenance.

eaten by

Great Tit

Parus major

as a meal for birds.

pollinates

Wild Carrot

Daucus carota

while seeking nectar.

eaten by

Garden Cross Spider

Araneus diadematus

gets caught in its web.

Merkmale

Bestäubermagnet

Beschreibt Pflanzen, die für eine Vielzahl von bestäubenden Organismen besonders attraktiv und nützlich sind.

Farbenfroh

Farbenfroh beschreibt Organismen oder Objekte, die eine große Vielfalt an leuchtenden und deutlich erkennbaren Farben aufweisen.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.