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Cantharis rustica, a black and red soldier beetle with a black, heart-shaped mark on its red pronotum, rests on a grass seedhead

Soldier beetle, Cantharis rustica © Tom Hibbert

Soldier beetle

One of our largest soldier beetles, often found on flowers where they hunt other insects.

Scientific name

Cantharis rustica

When to see

Adults: May to August

Species information

Statistics

Length: 9-13mm
Common

About

There are around 40 species of soldier beetle in the UK, but Cantharis rustica is one of the largest and most easily spotted. They're found in a range of habitats including grasslands, parks and gardens, and the edges of woodlands and arable fields. Look out for them climbing over flowers, particularly umbellifers like cow parsley, where they hunt for other insects to predate.

How to identify

A fairly large, black and red beetle. The top of the head is black, as are the antennae - though the first few sections (at least two, often more) are orange. The pronotum (the section of the body behind the head) is bright red, with a dark mark in the centre that often appears heart-shaped. The wing cases are a glossy black. The legs are black with a variable amount of red at the base.

Distribution

Common and widespread in Wales and England, though scarcer in northern England. Patchily distributed in Scotland.

Did you know?

The larvae are also predators, feeding on snails, worms and other invertebrates. They can remain active through the winter, sheltering under logs or in leaf litter when conditions are really cold.