Common cardinal beetle
Its comb-like, saw-toothed antennae give the whole cardinal beetle family its scientific name, from the Greek for fire coloured.
| Where | Woodland and hedgerows with dead wood |
|---|---|
| Size | 10 to 18 mm body length |
| When | April to June |
A flattened, bright red beetle with a red head, which distinguishes it from the similar black-headed cardinal beetle.
Both adults and larvae are predatory, with larvae hunting other insects under loose bark before adults emerge to hunt small insects on flowers and foliage.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Red, Black
Active
Day
To people
Harmless
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Black-headed cardinal beetle is slightly larger and has a black head, while the common cardinal beetle has an entirely red head.
Questions
Is the Common cardinal beetle dangerous to people?
The Common cardinal beetle is harmless to people.
When can you see the Common cardinal beetle?
The Common cardinal beetle can be seen from April to June, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Francisco Welter-Schultes, CC0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Beetles›Fire-coloured beetles›Pyrochroa
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.