European Firebug

Pyrrhocoris apterus

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia β€ΊPhylum: Arthropoda β€ΊClass: Insecta β€ΊOrder: Hemiptera β€ΊFamily: Pyrrhocoridae β€ΊGenus: Pyrrhocoris

About

The firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus, is a common insect of the family Pyrrhocoridae. Easily recognizable due to its striking red and black coloration, but may be confused with the similarly coloured but unrelated Corizus hyoscyami (cinnamon bug, squash bug) (see comparison). Pyrrhocoris apterus is distributed throughout the Palaearctic from the Atlantic coast of Europe to northwest China. It has also been reported from the USA, Central America and India. It has been reported as recently expanding its...