New garden species

Pyrrhocoris apterus (Firebug)

Last update: 7 February 2021


Uncommon

LOCATION: Krimpen aan den IJssel, garden

OBSERVATION:
2020-VIII-21


I didn’t notice at the time I’d published this post, that these bugs have a black head, which means they are a different species than the Cinnamon bug that I assumed they were and which have a red spot on their heads.

These are Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus). A new garden species!

This year there was a true explosion of these red-black bugs in the garden but now I’m not sure which species it was. Apparently Firebugs can often be found near Mallow and Lime trees [2]. The spot where I saw most of them was indeed within a radius of three meters of both plants.

Here a nymph and an adult feast on a dead Honey bee (Apis melifera).

Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) on Honey bee (Apis melifera)
Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) on Honey bee (Apis melifera)
Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) on Honey bee (Apis melifera)

References

1 Nederlands Soortenregister

2 Aukema, B., Th. Heijerman & V.J. Kalkman 2016. Veldgids wantsen deel 1. – EIS Kennis­ centrum Insecten, Leiden.

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