Cantharis fusca

Cantharis fusca
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Cantharidae
Genus:	Cantharis
Species:	C. fusca
Binomial name
Cantharis fusca Linnaeus, 1758

Cantharis fusca is a species of soldier beetle.

C. fusca in copula

C. fusca reaches a length of 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in).^[1] Except for parts of the head and thorax, which are red or orange, this species is completely black. The body is flat and long, with a weak exoskeleton. These beetles have long feathery antennae, and comparatively long legs.

This species is common in large parts of Europe, and lives in bushes, edges of forests, and meadows. They hunt for small insects.

The larvae have black hairs, and also eat small insects. They are very cold-resistant, and can be seen crawling on the snow in winter.

References

Wikispecies has information related to: Cantharis fusca

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cantharis fusca.