Pyrrhocoris apterus

Uncommon card · No. 169690

The firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus, is a common insect of the family Pyrrhocoridae. Easily recognisable due to its striking red and black coloration, it may be confused with the similarly coloured though unrelated Corizus hyoscyami (cinnamon bug or squash bug). Pyrrhocoris apterus is distributed throughout the Palaearctic from the Atlantic coast of Europe to northwest China. Beyond its native Palaearctic range, it has been recorded in the United States, Central America, Southern Ontario (As an invasive species), India, and Australia. It has been reported as recently expanding its distribution northwards into mainland United Kingdom and eastward on to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is frequently observed to form aggregations, especially in immature forms, containing tens to perhaps a hundred individuals.

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