Rhagonycha fulva, Common Red Soldier Beetle

Common Name: Common Red Soldier Beetle

Rhagonycha fulva, or the Common Red Soldier Beetle, has a reddish-brown body with a black tip, often called the bloodsucker because of its colour, although it is totally harmless.

Adults are active May to August and are often seen in large numbers in June and July on flower heads of cow parsley and hogweed. It's quite rare to see them singly. More often they are seen as mating pairs, earning them the nickname of 'bonking beetles'.

Their brown, maggot-like larvae live in soil and leaf litter. They feed on springtails and other tiny insects. Found in any well-vegetated habitat. Common and widespread throughout the UK.

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