Natural England

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Gardening with Wildlife in Mind

The Plant Press

© 2006-2008. Database provided and managed on behalf of Natural England by The Plant Press. Designed and implemented by Ideal Integration Ltd

 

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Common red soldier beetle - Rhagonycha fulva - Family: Cantharidae

Common red soldier beetle - Rhagonycha fulvaCommon red soldier beetle - Rhagonycha fulva
© Roger Key/English Nature
UK distribution - East Anglia, Midlands, North, South East, South West

This very common soldier beetle has a red body, with orange wing cases with black tips and black antennae. These beetles are frequent visitors to very open-structured flowers such as daisies or members of the carrot family eg hogweed and angelica. Here, they feed on nectar and pollen but also prey on other insects which are visiting the flowers and spend much of their time mating.

Soldier beetles are very soft-bodied compared with other beetles. Their larvae resemble small velvety caterpillars and live at the base of long grass. The adults of this species are found in just a few weeks of summer in late July and early August.

Food

Predatory on other flower-visiting insects and will take nectar and pollen. The larvae are predatory on ground-dwelling invertebrates, including slugs and snails.

Plants

Fool's parsley, Hogweed, Pignut, Rough chervil, Wild angelica

Prey

Beetles, Bugs, Flies