Firebug gathering
I thought I would not find any insects that day. After a long walk on a late fall day, this was the last stop to take some photos.
I was passing some very big and old trees that were growing on both sides of a gravel lane. They were exposed to the slowly setting sun, and there they were. Buggers enjoying the sun :)
I never liked them. Since I was a kid, I remember we could always see them on the cemeteries crawling around graves and bushes. Add the red and black colour to them, and you have some nasty, poisonous creature that eats human flesh ;p
Kids are weird and like to scare themselves, don't they? Well, it worked :)
PYRRHOCORIS APTERUS
Also called Europead Firefug, it is actually not harmful and will not eat you in your sleep. They do not damage garden plants. What can be annoying though is the amount of bugs when they find a nice place to stay. They can form really large colonies, and the one you see here is actually a very small one.
They mainly feed on linden fruits because the seeds are covered with sweet juices and firebugs love that, but they are also good in disposing dead animals or consuming insect eggs. These bugs certainly do not eat plant leaves because they do not like leaves.
They produce a slightly sour smell, for that reason dogs, cats and other pets are not usually bothered by these bugs. Firebugs are excellent as a mosquito terminators.
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They are not very big, but with the bright orange-red pattern, they are easy to spot.
I read somewhere a while ago that each bug has a slightly different pattern. The size of the spots, the irregular edges, some have extra little spot... A bit like human fingertips.
I still wouldn't want to find one crawling on me, but I have to admit that they are very photogenic.
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.
# Hello, I recognize this insect that you published, I also found it near my home. They are called “Gendarme”. So why they're called that, well, I don't know! hihihihi And I give my tongue to the cat! hahaha. Thank you for your articles which are always interesting and which I enjoy reading. For information and I know it lol The expression “give one's tongue to the cat” means in French that one does not know that one does not know. Good week.
Yea it is the same one :D I am pretty sure each country has their own name for it :D
I was scared 🥰 . But I like the colors of fireflies. I've never thought like you. They've always been eye-catching to me.🐞
They really can draw attention especially in large groups.
I dislike bedbugs, although they seem harmless, in Central America there is a bedbug called "chipo" that produces a disease that affects the heart and can be fatal, as I never distinguish them, beautiful colors though, I prefer to stay away from them
Ouch! That sounds like a really nasty one. These are harmless though. Just look mean :)
I never liked them either. The only exception is the time when I was viewing your post 😉❤️
Haha because they are far away and dont move :p
Not my favourite bugs either. Just look good on photos.
Noo, because you did really great shots! 😉
😊
Wow! I am not very familiar with these insects. But the truth is that they are very photogenic.
Maybe they do not live in your part of the world. But yes - they look cool on photos.
Turned upside down the European firebug remind me of tribal ceremonial warrior masks! Definitely have very unique and memorable markings and they were terrific subjects for your photographs! @ewkaw
Ha! I just wrote that in another comment :D They do look like that!
Very cool looking bugs! Those false eyes do make them seem a bit menacing, don't they?
Yeaaa and all the "fear me" colours...
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I hadn’t noticed before, but this is how they look from above, like some kind of skull or face.
They remind me tribal masks :D
At first from memory, I thought I had taken some shots of the same buggers. However once finding the pics and seeing they are slightly different, I consulted the Book of Knowledge (Google image look up) and found mine to be the boxelder bug (Leptocoris trivittatus).
I admit yours look a bit more fearsome! 😀
More red - more fear :D
They do look alike though. Same shame and mean red eyes.
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Usually I’m not very happy to see them in my garden, but they are excellent on the pics)
They do look cool indeed.
Knowing that they are not harmful make me tolerate them more. Still not my fav bug :p
Such great photos, but I have to say that I shared your opinion about them when I was a kid... lol... I suppose that I met them a lot when we were camping in the woods, and I suppose that I didn't like them because of the smell... Didn't know about them eating dead flesh...
Anyways, seeing that they are "mosquito terminators", maybe I will like them more... 😂
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Imagine keeping them at home to catch the mosquitos for you :p
I think I will pass anyway :D
Nice work and all these details ❤ The way you have captured these bugs...is just wonderful!!
Thanks a lot :)
Hello dear friend @ewkaw Happy new year
Yes, they are striking, and that amount is impossible for them to go unnoticed. How cruel your friends are, scaring you like that.
We haven't seen these insects here for some time, in fact since we discontinued the theft all types of insects have disappeared.
Thank you very much for sharing these beautiful shots
Have a wonderful morning
Hahhaa kids like to do that to each other :D
Happy New Year!
in these pictures, even though they are much bigger than in real life, they look nicer to me than when I see them in my garden 😀
I know right? On photos they are quite cute :)
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