The approximately one centimeter large fire beetles (Pyrochroidae) are easy to identify due to their bright red coloring. In this article we explain whether the animals are among the pests whose population should be contained.
Is it necessary to fight fire beetles?
Since they do not harm plants and are even consideredbeneficial insects, you should notfight fire beetles. The beetles that live in deciduous forests with dead wood and on the edges of forests are rare guests in our gardens anyway and are usually only found during flight time.
What do fire beetles feed on?
Adult fire beetles feed onnectar, pollenand honeydew fromaphids. The beetle's larvae live under the bark of dead trees. There they pupate in a doll's cradle after a development period that lasts about three years.
They also use the tunnels drilled into the wood by other insects or drill their own holes. They do not harm the tree, but are very useful for it, as they eat the larvae of wood pests such as longhorn beetles, bark beetles or jewel beetles.
Are fire beetles dangerous to humans?
Fire beetles produceCantharidin,, in the lymph circulating in their bodies, which serves as an attractant pheromone and is intended to encourage females to mate. Thesubstance is highly irritating to human skin. It causes burn-like injuries such as blisters and necrosis.
But since the little crawlers are so useful, you shouldn't destroy them. Just let the animals go their way and don't bother them. This way you don't come into contact with body secretions.
Tip
Fire beetles are not fire bugs
The fire beetle is sometimes confused with the fire bug because both beetles are bright red. However, fire bugs have an oval body with distinctive black markings. Fire beetles, on the other hand, are colored cardinal red on the wing coverts, the large, flat head and the rest of the body are black.
