Soldiers

Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) on Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

For the last few weeks, it's seemed like most of the flowers in our garden have been covered with mating pairs of Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva). From June to August, these slim, bright beetles roam over the flat tops of open flowers, searching for food and potential mates. Umbellifers like Common Hogweed and Cow Parsley, and composites like Common Daisy and Common Ragwort are among their favoured hunting grounds. This distinctive species is common and widespread in fields, meadows and hedgerows across the British Isles. It's easy to identify, thanks to its overall reddish colour and the dark tips to its elytra (the hard wing covers that all beetles have). That bold colour — supposedly reminiscent of military uniforms — is what gives "soldier beetles" their name. It's also the basis for the alternative name "bloodsucker", despite the fact that the beetle is not a bloodsucker, and presents no threat to humans. Outside the UK, Common Red Soldier Beetles are native and widespread across Eurasia, and have been introduced to North America. They're a useful visitor to the garden; adults feed on small insects, such as aphids (as well as nectar and pollen), while the ground-dwelling larvae hunt snails, slugs and other insects.