| Cardinal beetle | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Pyrochroidae |
| Genus: | Pyrochroa |
| Species: | P. coccinea |
| Binomial name | |
| Pyrochroa coccinea Linnaeus, 1762 |
|
The cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea) is a brightly-coloured red or orange beetle. It is approximately 20 mm long. It has a black face.
The cardinal beetle preys on other insects and is normally found on flowers at the edges of woodland
The cardinal beetle is a strong flier. The cardinal beetle is bright red; in that way it warns predators that it is toxic.
People often mistake the smaller Scarlet lily beetle, Lilioceris lilii, for a cardinal beetle.
Pyrochroa serraticornis, which is very similar to P. coccinea except it has a red head instead of a black one, is also referred to as a Cardinal beetle.[1]