Pyrochroa
coccinea  |
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| Pyrochroa coccinea is one of just three European species, all of which are found in the UK. They are more commonly known as Cardinal Beetles, due to their bright red coloration and belong to the Pyrochroidae family. The larva is carnivorous and lives under loose bark or within rotting wood. The adults are very conspicuous and found in May and June, but we have only found them in the Sherwood Forest area. P. coccinea differs from the very similar P. serraticornis, by having the head black. | ||
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| The two photographs show something that unfortunately wasn't noticed at the time they were taken. Or rather, what is on the antenna of this P. coccinea, wasn't what we thought it was. Only when we uploaded the photographs onto the computer, did the hitchhiker become known... a Pseudoscorpion. Pseudoscorpions have been noted to hitch a lift as a means of transport to new areas, but such photographs are unusual. Just wish they had been of better quality. | ||
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| The following four photographs show most of the life-cycle stages. A full grown larva was found under the bark of a felled Pine at Clipstone Old Quarter in early 2012. The pupa darkened around 24 hours prior to hatching and the emerged adult aquired full colouration after 36 hours. | ||
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| UK distribution of Pyrochroa
coccinea |
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 The UK distribution maps on eakringbirds.com are provided by the National Biodiversity Network (NBN Gateway) Each red square on the map indicates species present in 10km grid squares. Updated September 2011 |
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