Day 260 - Respectfully Super and Brilliant Red Soldier Beetles

Red Solider Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

Hey everyone today's Day 260. I have chosen another Beetle because I just can't get over the fact that a quarter of all animal species is a Beetle and a fifth of all living things is a Beetle! There are over 300,000 known species Beetles in the World and Beetles were first recorded living 240 million years ago. Well, that's the pre-amble done so on to today's blog which is all about Red Soldier Beetles. They are lovely Beetles and I loved taking pictures of them.

So, here are the facts:

• There are around 40 species of Soldier Beetle in the UK and they vary in colour combinations of Red, Orange and Black. They are similar to the Cardinal Beetle but are thinner.

• It is sometimes known as the 'Bloodsucker Beetle' because of its vibrant red colour. They are generally Red and Orange with Black Tips on their wings.

Sharing the Hogweed with Thunderbugs

• It's a medium size being a slightly respectful 1cm long with antennae about half the size of them. 

• They are commonly found in Grassland, Woodland, Hedgerows, Parks and Gardens and they particularly like Daisies, Cow Parsley and Hogweed. They certainly liked it in Silton Forest where I got these shots!

• They can be seen from March through to October but are usually found during June, July and August.

• Adults are generally seen in pairs as they spend most of their short Adult lives mating and laying eggs.

• They are predatory insects who eat small, soft bodied insects such as Aphids as well as Pollen and Nectar. 

You often see these beetles mating -
its given them an alternative name!

• Their brown maggot like larvae eat small invertebrates, some sites say small invertebrates like springtails and tiny insects while others say  things such as Slugs and Snails which they find near to their homes in the base of Long Grasses.

• They have a couple of names such as the Sailor Beetle and to see the other one look at UK Safari with the link below. You'll see why...lol

Here are some links to some more information:

UK Safari - Red Soldier Beetles

NatureSpot - Red Soldier Beetles

Wildlife Trusts - Red Soldier Beetles

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.