DESCRIPTION: Approximately 11 - 14mm in length. A typically shaped Soldier Beetle with a reddish orange head that has a distinct black spot, an orange pronotum and a similarly coloured elytra although in the sub-species rufipes the elytra can be dark brown or almost black. The hind femurs are orange with a black band at the tip and the mid-tibiae are red or darkened. BEHAVIOUR: A carnivore feeding on smaller insects. The larvae hunt snails and worms. DISTRIBUTION: Widespread but never common becoming scarcer towards the north. HABITAT: A species that likes areas with long grass such as meadows, rough fields and neglected brownfield sites. PERIOD: May to August. |
