Bug FAQCommon Red Soldier Beetle
Rhagonycha fulva · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Cantharidae
Also called: Hogweed Bonking Beetle, Soldier beetle
The Common Red Soldier Beetle is 8 to 10 mm long, with an orange head and pronotum and dark red wing covers that end in a black tip. Adults are seen on flowers in grasslands, woodlands, hedgerows, parks and gardens from June to August, where they feed on aphids, pollen and nectar.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It measures about 8 to 10 mm (0.31 to 0.39 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is commonly found on open flowers in grassland, woodland, hedgerows, parks and gardens. In summer it frequents plants such as cow parsley and hogweed, as well as other Asteraceae species.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult beetles eat aphids, pollen and nectar, while the larvae hunt ground-dwelling invertebrates like slugs and snails.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from June to August, spending much of their short lives mating, often seen in pairs.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are most visible during the summer months of June through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is widespread in Europe and Anatolia and has been introduced to parts of North America, including British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 7 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont, Michigan, Ohio.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in North America; introduced in Canada; introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Cantharidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhagonycha_fulva
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.