Soldier beetle  (Rhagonycha fulva)

Loading loading

Facts – Soldier beetle

Also known as: bloodsucker
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderColeoptera
FamilyCantharidae
GenusRhagonycha (1)
SizeLength: 7 – 10 mm (2)
Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Status – Soldier beetle

Not threatened (2).

Description – Soldier beetle

This soldier beetle called the ‘bloodsucker’ in some areas because of its bright red colouration. It is the most common soldier beetle in Britain, and is typically seen on large flower heads, often in mating pairs (2). Soldier beetles are elongated beetles that have soft bodies. The red wing cases (elytra) are covered with short downy hair and are black at the tips (3). The common name of the group, soldier beetle has arisen as a result of most members of the family being red and black in colour (3).

Range – Soldier beetle

Very common throughout Britain and much of Europe (1) (2).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Habitat – Soldier beetle

Occurs in a wide range of habitats including gardens and road verges (2).

Biology – Soldier beetle

The adults are seen from late June to August and occasionally survive into September (2). Although typically seen on flower heads, this beetle is carnivorous and feeds on other insects that visit the flowers (3). It is often seen in pairs because copulation takes a relatively long time (2). The ground-dwelling larvae are also carnivorous (3).

Threats – Soldier beetle

This species is not threatened.

Conservation – Soldier beetle

Conservation action is not required for this species.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Find out more – Soldier beetle

For more on invertebrates and their conservation see Buglife- the invertebrate conservation trust:
http://www.buglife.org.uk

Authentication

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact: arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

Glossary

  • Elytra: in beetles and earwigs, the hard fore wings. They are held aloft when the insect flies, and are often coloured or patterned.
  • Larvae: stage in an animal’s lifecycle after it hatches from the egg. Larvae are typically very different in appearance to adults; they are able to feed and move around but usually are unable to reproduce.

References

  1. National Biodiversity Network Species Dictionary (January2004): http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nbn
  2. Harde, K.W. (2000) Beetles. Silverdale Books, Leicester.
  3. Chinery. M. (1993) Insects of Britain and Northern Europe. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, London.
More

Related species

More

Related species by status

No related species found
More

Related species by group

Loading...
More

Related species by geography

More

Related species by habitat

What's new?

Rough-toothed dolphin

New images of the rough-toothed dolphin. More

Latest from the ARKive blogsubscribe to posts

Loading...
ARKive.org is the place for films, photos and facts about endangered species. Subscribe to our blog today to keep up to date!

To see the latest posts from ARKive please visit http://blog.arkive.org or enable javascript.

Image credit

Soldier beetles
Soldier beetles

© Gordon Maclean / www.osfimages.com

Oxford Scientific (OSF)
2nd Floor
Waterside House
9 Woodfield Road
London
W9 2BA
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7432 8200
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7432 8201
sales@osfimages.com
http://www.osfimages.com

Link to this photo

ARKive species - Soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) Embed this ARKive thumbnail link by copying and pasting the code below.

Terms of Use - The displayed thumbnail may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for not-for-profit private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. Portlets may NOT be used within Apps.

MyARKive

Soldier beetles

MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends.