Are these beetles a pest? (1 Viewer)

m47 · Sep 15, 2004

Hi friends,

I have thousands of these in my garden where I live to the west of Paris. The French call them 'gendarmes'. They live on my Hollyhocks sunning themselves and in the seed heads, amongst woody herbs like sage, and cluster along low walls and tree bark.

What I don't know, and neither do my neighbours, is what they are living on, and whether I should be taking steps to control their numbers. And if so how.

Can anyone help please?

With thanks

Mike m47

Nerine · Sep 15, 2004

Hi Mike. I have lots of these in my garden in Guernsey. They cluster around mallow and apparently eat the seeds of mallow and also seeds of lime trees. They have never been a pest in my garden so I just leave them alone.

They are Fire Bugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus).

Nerine

Joern Lehmhus · Sep 15, 2004

Hi Mike , Hi Nerine

I can only second nerine,

they are no beetles but belong to the true bugs (Hemiptera), this species is called fire bug (P. apterus), They suck out the seeds of different plants: linden trees (=Lime trees), Mallows, Hollyhock, Thuja etc.

If you aren´t a seed producer, you do not need to take any measures.

H0pe that helps

Fuchsia · Sep 15, 2004

Hello Mike,
I have a similar fire bug, Melanocoryphus albomaculatus - gazillions of them! I think we are all a bit worried when something is in great numbers but you get used to them. They are very photogenic at least!

Best wishes
Jen :hippy:

harry eales · Sep 15, 2004

Nerine said:
Hi Mike. I have lots of these in my garden in Guernsey. They cluster around mallow and apparently eat the seeds of mallow and also seeds of lime trees. They have never been a pest in my garden so I just leave them alone.

They are Fire Bugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus).

Nerine

Hello Nerine,
P.apterous has recently become an established resident on the British mainland, and will no doubt spread fairly rapidly. Another case of Global Warming making itself known by the increased distribution in the ranges of many species of insect.

Harry

jayhunter · Sep 15, 2004

Hi Harry, Have they reached you in Durham? I haven't noticed them passing through Cheshire yet, at least not on my Hollyhocks.

harry eales · Sep 15, 2004

jayhunter said:
Hi Harry, Have they reached you in Durham? I haven't noticed them passing through Cheshire yet, at least not on my Hollyhocks.

Hello Jay,
No, they're not in Durham (yet). I understand from recent publications that they are established in southern England and spreading quite rapidly. Perhaps you may see them before me, but, as I'm only interested in the Shieldbugs I probably will not take too much notice of them, except to record their first occurrence locally. (If I live that long. lol).

Having said that, I remember seeing the first Comma butterfly in Northumberland in 1995 after an absence of 150 years or so. This butterfly is now breeding well north of Edinburgh, on these facts it may not be too long before you see Firebugs in your area.

Harry

jayhunter · Sep 16, 2004

Cheers for that Harry, I have had a few Comma butterflies this year, no Painted Ladies (though plenty last year). Loads of Peacocks but few Red Admirals, maybe something to do with the large amounts of rain here at 1000 ft in the Peaks! I quite like Shield Bugs having lived in Singapore for three years I enjoyed seeing, some pretty bizarre shapes colours and sizes. Take care, Bob

harry eales said:
Hello Jay,
No, they're not in Durham (yet). I understand from recent publications that they are established in southern England and spreading quite rapidly. Perhaps you may see them before me, but, as I'm only interested in the Shieldbugs I probably will not take too much notice of them, except to record their first occurrence locally. (If I live that long. lol).

Having said that, I remember seeing the first Comma butterfly in Northumberland in 1995 after an absence of 150 years or so. This butterfly is now breeding well north of Edinburgh, on these facts it may not be too long before you see Firebugs in your area.

Harry

m47 · Sep 17, 2004

Thank you

Thanks to all for your replies. I'm glad to learn they're not doing any harm, but when I brush past the hollyhocks, I must confess to a shudder when showers of them fall off over me!

I'll visit again!

Michael

harry eales · Sep 17, 2004

jayhunter said:
Cheers for that Harry, I have had a few Comma butterflies this year, no Painted Ladies (though plenty last year). Loads of Peacocks but few Red Admirals, maybe something to do with the large amounts of rain here at 1000 ft in the Peaks! I quite like Shield Bugs having lived in Singapore for three years I enjoyed seeing, some pretty bizarre shapes colours and sizes. Take care, Bob

Hello Bob,
I was about to write this year off as a poor year for Red Admirals. However, one of my Buddlia bushes is having a second flush of flowers and this morning I counted 4 Peacocks, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 3 Comma and 18 Red Admirals.

I have several Buddlias in a range of colours and all produce the usual flowering point, followed by two smaller points on the next lateral leaf joint down, but one bush only, always seems to produce a pair of smallish flowers from the second lateral joint down from the tip. I have no idea why, or have I seen this happen elsewhere, but it certainly brings in the butterflies when all the other Buddlias in my village have finished flowering.

Harry

Are these beetles a pest? (1 Viewer)

More options

m47

Member

Attachments

Nerine

Well-known member

Joern Lehmhus

Well-known member

Fuchsia

Bug Babe

Attachments

harry eales

Ancient Entomologist

jayhunter

Well-known member

harry eales

Ancient Entomologist

jayhunter

Well-known member

m47

Member

harry eales

Ancient Entomologist

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread