Black-headed Cardinal Beetle

Cardinal Beetles Pyrochroa serraticornis are one of the signs that spring is really underway, and are one of the few beetle species that will be familiar to many, as they are bright red and often sit conspicuously on leaves or flowers. This particular specimen is the scarcer Black-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea, which is most frequent in south-east England and along the Welsh borders, with only scattered records further north and east. Both species have long, flattened larvae that develop under bark of decaying wood.