Beetles with striking black and red coloration can be found across North America, captivating observers with their vibrant patterns. These beetles belong to a range of species and play diverse ecological roles. While some are agricultural pests, others act as beneficial predators, helping control pest populations. Their varied diets and lifestyles provide a glimpse into nature’s incredible diversity.
What Makes Black and Red Beetles Special?
The red and black color pattern shared by these beetles serves an important purpose – it identifies them as toxic or distasteful to potential predators. This phenomenon, known as aposematic coloration, is a common survival strategy in the insect world. For humans, it makes these beetles easy to spot and admire.
Beyond their classic warning colors, black and red beetles display a huge variety in size, shape, and habits. They occupy niches from pollen-munching ladybugs to fungi-feeding darkling beetles. The diversity of this group reflects the 300,000+ beetle species found worldwide.
North America alone hosts around 25,000 beetle species, with roughly 400 bearing the iconic black and red markings. These include beloved beneficial insects along with a few pesky agricultural pests.
Well-Known Black and Red Beetle Species
Some of the most familiar black and red beetles are
Ladybugs
Ladybugs, more accurately called lady beetles or ladybird beetles include over 450 North American species. Most have domed oval bodies with black spots or markings on red wing covers. The convergent lady beetle seven-spotted lady beetle, and Asian lady beetle are common examples. They are valued predators of crop pests like aphids, mealybugs, and mites.
Soldier Beetles
Over 300 species of soldier beetles inhabit North America. Most are elongate, soft-bodied beetles with black wing covers marked with red. Their larvae are aggressive predators, while adults eat pollen and nectar. Soldier beetles help control insect pests and pollinate crops and wildflowers.
Blister Beetles
These beetles have narrow, cylindrical, soft bodies and wings that are black with red or yellow stripes/spots. They contain toxic cantharidin, which irritates skin on contact. Around 150 species occur in North America, feeding on flowers and foliage. Some are crop pests.
Milkweed Beetles
Multiple black and red milkweed beetles feed exclusively on milkweed plants. They have elongated bodies with black legs and antennae and reddish elytra with small black dots. Toxic cardenolides from milkweed make these beetles unpalatable. They are specialized herbivores of milkweeds.
Fire-colored Beetles
This group includes various red and black beetles with non-toxic warning coloration mimicking poisonous species. False fire-colored beetles, ironweed beetles, and scarlet malachite beetles are some examples. They have black bodies with red markings but lack toxins, instead tasting bad.
Diverse Habits and Lifecycles
Black and red beetles exhibit tremendous diversity in their habitats, food sources, and reproductive strategies. Here are some examples:
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Habitats: ladybugs thrive in fields and gardens where they find aphid prey; blister beetles prefer open habitats like meadows and prairies; soldier beetles live in woodlands and wetlands; some darkling beetles inhabit arid deserts.
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Diets: ladybugs, soldier beetles, and glowworms are carnivorous, eating insects, pollen, and nectar; blister and milkweed beetles eat plant foliage and flowers; darkling beetles feed on fungi, decaying matter, roots, and seeds.
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Reproduction: most ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs on plants which hatch into larvae. Soldier beetle larvae develop underground. Milkweed beetles lay eggs on milkweed plants. Blister beetles have complex life cycles involving stages in the nests of bees and grasshoppers.
Pest vs. Beneficial Species
While a few black and red beetles damage crops, most play beneficial ecological roles:
Beneficial Beetles
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Ladybugs – Voracious predators, they control aphids, scale insects, mites, and other plant pests. Highly valued in agriculture.
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Soldier beetles – Both adults and larvae prey on insect pests. Adults pollinate plants and help regulate pollen-dependent bee and wasp populations.
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Fire-colored beetles – Although inedible mimics, their aposematic coloration reinforces the warning signal of truly toxic species. They also pollinate plants.
Pest Beetles
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Blister beetles – Adults and larvae damage crops by feeding on foliage, flowers, roots, and seeds. Can be severe pests of potatoes, tomatoes, alfalfa, and soybeans.
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Milkweed beetles– Specialized feeders on milkweed; at high densities they can completely defoliate and kill plants. Considered minor garden pests.
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Darkling beetles– Some root-feeding darkling larvae damage seedlings, roots, tubers, and grains pre- and post-harvest. Most species play beneficial roles.
Appreciating Black and Red Beetles
More than just pretty colors, the warning displays of these beetles reveal there is more to an insect than meets the eye. Their diverse natural histories and ecological impacts inspire appreciation for beetles and insects as a whole. Beyond the agricultural context, these beetles have inherent value independent of human interests. So next time you encounter a dashing black and red beetle, take a moment to admire its uniqueness before rushing to judgements of “pest” or “beneficial”. The natural world contains wonder enough for us all.
Habitat, Diet, and Life Cycle
These seasonal pests are found primarily on boxelder trees as well as other maples and ashes. However, they are also known to gather on home exteriors on sunny days and overwinter indoors.
Boxelder bugs feed on the seed pods of their host trees and other similar species by sucking the sap out of them. From time to time, these pests will also feed on fruit trees, including cherry, plum, peach, and apple.
Overwintering adult boxelder bugs emerge in the spring and deposit red, oval-shaped eggs on the leaves and bark of host trees. These hatch into nymphs that immediately start feeding on seeds, foliage, twigs, and fruit. Nymphs develop through a series of molts before reaching adulthood and begin reproducing immediately. It is the second generation of adults that will overwinter and emerge the next season.
Boxelder bugs, also known as maple bugs, primarily suck the sap out of the seed pods of female boxelder trees, but have been known to infest maple and ash trees, as well as fruit trees, including cherry, plum, peach, and apple.
On sunny days, boxelder bugs gather on home exteriors (usually on the south side where the most there is the most sun), while in the winter, they seek warmth and food in wood piles, inside barns and sheds, or around window casements, gaining entry through gaps around foundations, open vents, and unscreened windows and doors.
These boxelder bugs emerge in spring to lay red, oval-shaped eggs that will hatch into nymphs, which will immediately start feeding on seeds, foliage, twigs, and fruit.
Boxelder bugs do not bite or cause structural damage to homes, but are a nuisance because they invade in large numbers. The bugs also inflict cosmetic damage to trees, leaving behind speckled leaves and scarred fruit.
Crushed boxelder bugs emit a foul odour and can stain structures, while their excrement can stain draperies, furniture, and other linens. Dead bugs can also attract other insects, such as carpet beetles.
Because boxelder bugs infest in such overwhelming numbers, it’s crucial to get help from a professional pest control service to apply exterior perimeter treatments effectively and safely.
Signs of an infestation
Adults prefer to overwinter in dry, sheltered areas such as woodpiles, inside barns and sheds, or around window casements. Brightly coloured and easy to see, boxelder bugs infest homes in large numbers when searching for refuge from cold winters.
Homeowners can remove boxelder bugs with vacuums. Nevertheless, as infestations generally occur in overwhelming numbers, contacting a trained pest removal specialist is usually the best method to keep these pests away. Proper treatment is important as for overwintering boxelder bugs because any dead bugs can become source of attraction and food for other insects, such as carpet beetles. Indoor influxes can often be prevented by application of exterior perimeter treatments by a professional; however timing of this application is crucial for it to be effective. Boxelder bugs already inside can be removed by use of vacuuming.
Boxelder Bugs – What they are, how to get rid of them
FAQ
Are boxelder bugs harmful?
- Not Harmful to Humans or Pets: Boxelder bugs do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases.
- No Structural Damage: They don’t cause damage to homes or structures.
- Nuisance Indoors: They may be a nuisance indoors, especially in the fall and spring, as they seek shelter from the cold and warm up, potentially causing a mess with their droppings and a foul odor when squashed.
- Stains: Their feces can stain light-colored surfaces.
- Management: To manage boxelder bugs, focus on preventing them from entering your home by sealing cracks and crevices, and vacuuming or sweeping them up if they do get inside.
- Not Dangerous to Plants: They primarily feed on the seeds of boxelder, maple, and ash trees, and don’t cause significant damage to plants.
- Hemolymph: When threatened or crushed, boxelder bugs release a chemical called hemolymph, which can be harmful to dogs if ingested, potentially causing gastrointestinal upset, drooling, or mild irritation.
Are red and black beetles harmful?
Boxelder bugs are not predatory creatures, but they have been known to bite when handled in some instances. If you have an invasion of these red and black bugs in your home, don’t attempt to handle them because they may feel threatened and decide to bite.
Why do boxelder bugs suddenly appear?
Boxelder bugs tend to have high populations during hot, dry summers (records show their populations skyrocketed during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s), meaning a …Jul 18, 2023
How do you get rid of boxelder beetles?
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Mix a tablespoon of dish soap with water in a spray bottle and spray the solution directly on the bugs. The soap breaks down their exoskeleton, causing them to dehydrate and die.
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Vacuuming:Use a vacuum cleaner to remove boxelder bugs that have entered your home, especially during the fall when they seek shelter indoors. Dispose of the vacuum bag properly to prevent them from escaping.
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Hand-Collecting:You can also manually collect and dispose of boxelder bugs, especially in smaller numbers.
What does a red beetle look like?
A red beetle, such as the Mylabris quadripunctata, has a slender, bright red body with two rows of black dots and black markings at its tail. It also has a small round black thorax and a small black head.
What bugs are black and red?
The United States is home to a vast ecosystem that is the home of various red and black bugs. Some of the most common species of bugs are black and red. Various types of ladybugs and other popular culture bugs are seen in black and red coloring.
What is a small red beetle with black spots that flies?
The ladybug or lady beetle is one type of small red beetle with black spots that flies. Many people refer to beetles as bugs, but true bugs are in the order Hemiptera and have sucking mouthparts, unlike beetles which have chewing mouthparts called mandibles.
What does a red-banded fungus beetle look like?
Red-banded Fungus Beetles (Megalodacne fasciata) are native to North America. The species has a shiny body where black and red are the base colors. Its black body is covered in red bands with further black dots on the upper band close to the prothorax. The head of these bugs is all-black.
What is the diet of red and black beetles?
Some red and black beetles are herbivorous while others are carnivorous and true predators. The color of the beetles has little impact on the diet of these bugs.
What are red beetles?
Red beetles are insects belonging to the order Coleoptera with red bodies. They can include various species such as red weevils, scarab beetles, soldier beetles, and red ladybugs. Let’s look in more detail at common varieties of beetles with red bodies you are likely to come across.