Black-headed Cardinal Beetle
Pyrochroa coccinea
Their brilliant red color is aposematic, acting as a visual warning to birds that they contain bitter-tasting chemicals.
- Scientific name
- Pyrochroa coccinea
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Pyrochroidae › Pyrochroa
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodlands and forest edges, particularly near old or decaying broadleaf trees.
- Diet
- Adults consume nectar, pollen, and tree sap; larvae are predatory, hunting other insects under tree bark.
- Range
- Europe, United Kingdom, Central Asia
- Size
- 14-18 mm in length.
- Lifespan
- 2 to 3 years (mostly as larvae); adults live only a few weeks.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Loss of ancient woodland and the removal of standing or fallen deadwood (necromass) which larvae require.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These beetles are safe to observe from any distance. They do not sting or possess venom. If handled roughly, they may attempt a tiny, non-harmful pinch with their mandibles. Simply enjoy their vibrant colors.
The name cardinal beetle typically refers to three different species of beetles. The red-headed or 'common' cardinal beetle ( Pyrochroa serraticornis ) is a red to orange beetle with, as the name suggests, a red head. It is about 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long, and is found throughout Britain. The rarer black-headed cardinal beetle ( P. coccinea ), similarly found at sites across Britain, is larger and a deeper blood red. The scarce cardinal beetle ( Schizotus pectinicornis ) also has a black...
Photo: saydelah, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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