When black and red beetles have settled in the garden, the hobby gardener is frightened. Not only the signal colors cause concern, but also the infected plants. But not every species targets plant tissue. Many insects do not appear as pests, but prove useful. Most species can therefore be scared away with simple measures.
Fire beetle
The scarlet fire beetle got its name (scientifically: Pyrochroa coccinea) due to the distinctive red coloration of the pronotum and wing wings. The rest of the body is colored black. Fire beetles are between three and 20 millimeters long and are slightly hairy on the upper side of the body. The elytra are finely ribbed and have a noticeable central furrow. Adult insects occur where pollen, honeydew and nectar are available. They do no harm to the plants. Their larvae live under the bark of rotten trees and devour insect pests and their larvae. It is therefore not necessary to control the fire beetle.
If your presence is perceived as annoying, you can take gentle measures:
- Sprinkle coffee grounds under preferred food plants
- Dust plants with neem oil
- non-toxic insect powder on plants drives away the beetles
Fire bug
The common fire bug (scientifically: Pyrrhocoris apterus) gives off an unpleasant odor when it feels threatened. It is between six and twelve millimeters long and has
an oval body outline. The body is flattened on the top, while the bottom appears arched. The insects have a trapezoidal pronotum, the sides of which are sharp-edged or thickened. Fire bugs are almost unmistakable due to their distinctive color. While the head and antennae are black, the pronotum and body have black and red markings with two circular black spots. The insects are found in warm and sunny locations. Fire bugs suck up seeds from linden and various mallow trees. The bugs do not pose a threat. You can easily get lost in houses and apartments when the windows and doors are open.Gentle measures are sufficient to drive away the bugs:
- Plant mallow family in pots that are placed in remote locations
- Bark mulch of the balsam fir 'Nana' acts as a development inhibitor in nymphs
- Fly tape acts as a barrier in window frames and door sills
- Relocate the lumps of bugs in good time in spring from the winter quarters
Note: Fire bugs are only active between March and May and then go away on their own. If the winters are particularly severe, they cannot survive the freezing temperatures.
Lily Chicken
This leaf beetle bears the biological name Lilioceris lilii and remains comparatively small with a body length of six to eight millimeters. Lily chickens are colored sealing wax red. The head and legs appear black. They are considered
Dreaded lily pests and prefer to colonize checkerboard flowers, but are also found on other giant and magnificent lilies that grow on wet meadows, in gardens and on banks. Both adult beetles and their larvae eat the leaf tissue and can cause great damage.
They can be combated with simple means:
- Collect the beetles from the leaves
- Scrape the clutch off the underside of the leaves
- Spray plants with an aqueous soft soap-ethanol solution
- Dust the leaves with algae lime or rock flour
Knight bug
The knight bug (Lygaeus equestris) becomes up to twelve centimeters long and is easy to confuse with the fire bug. In contrast to this, the knight bug has fully developed wings that it can use. The black spots on the top of the body are reminiscent of a knight's cross. A circular white spot on the forewings is typical. The species feeds on plant juices. Knight bugs are out of the question as plant pests, which is why control is not necessary. They specialize in rare habitats with warm and dry conditions such as dry grassland and ruderal areas.
In order to keep the insects away from the balcony and terrace, you should use attractants some distance away and avoid food plants in the immediate vicinity:
- Plant species-rich bushes at the other end of the garden
- Avoid dandelions in the meadow
- Put swallowwort or spring honeysuckle in pots and place away
Red cover beetle
A common beetle in Europe is the proboscis beetle (scientifically: Lygistopterus sanguineus). This is between seven and twelve millimeters long and has a light brown to reddish wing color. The longitudinal grooves that distinguish the beetle from related species in the family are striking. Typical of other weevils is a grid-like drawing that is missing in this species. The center of the pronotum is colored black and ends in the reddish-brown coloring of the wings. While adult beetles feed on pollen, their larvae eat insects in the rotten wood of deciduous trees. The beetles do not occur in large numbers and are harmless
for plants in the garden.
The measures against this beetle are limited to the following:
- Catch and release animals that have strayed into the home
- Avoid litter and rotten wood so that larvae do not develop
- Promote natural enemies such as birds and hedgehogs
Strip bug
The bug with the scientific name Graphosoma lineatum is between eight and twelve millimeters long and can be recognized by its distinctive stripe pattern. The black drawing is on a red or yellow-red background. On the underside, striped warts are colored red and dotted with black. Both nymphs and adult strip bugs suckle juice from ripening seeds. Even if umbelliferous plants are preferentially attacked and strip bugs sometimes sit in large numbers on the plants, there is no danger to the plant.
If you want to prevent the insects from getting into the garden, you should avoid certain plants:
- Parsnips are preferred food plants and mating locations
- In gardens, strip bugs are often found on dill, carrots and fennel
- Trees near the food plants offer optimal retreats in spring
- in nature, hairline, angelica, groundgrass and man litter are colonized
Ear beetle
The red flag beetle (biological: Anthocomus rufus) is almost five millimeters long and has red elytra and black legs. The elytra in the female do not cover the entire abdomen, so that a black-colored tip protrudes at the end of the body. The slightly edged pronotum, which is reddish at the edges and black in the middle, is typical. The beetles prefer sunny and warm locations. Their food spectrum includes reed pollen and dead insects, preferably the reed spider. Eye beetles are not pests and should not be controlled.
Tip: If you find the insects annoying, you can attract them with sugar water. Then collect the beetles and release them outside the garden.
