Bugs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. While many have matching body and leg colors some species stand out with their bright red legs. These reddish hued insects span across different families and feeding behaviors.
Red legged bugs grab our attention, whether they actively hunt, sit camouflaged, or suck juices from plants. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common red legged crawlers roaming the world.
Why Red Legs?
Vivid red or orange legs provide stark contrast on bugs that are otherwise black, green, or brown. This flash of color may serve as a warning to predators that the bug has a nasty bite or taste. In other cases red legs blend in with the bug’s surroundings, helping it ambush prey or hide from hungry birds and reptiles.
While scientists don’t fully understand the evolutionary purpose of red legs, they offer clues to a bug’s identity, habits, and habitat.
Clover Mites
Tiny but vivid, clover mites (Bryobia praetiosa) scurry over soil and vegetation. These dark mites measure just 0.5mm long but their bright red legs are easy to spot.
As occasional pests, clover mites feed on grass, clover, and other plants. Large infestations may yellow the lawn. These mites also sneak indoors when cold weather arrives.
While harmless inside, clover mites are a nuisance. Their crushed bodies can stain walls, furniture, and fabrics. Regular vacuuming helps control indoor populations. Outdoors, clover mites thrive in lawns and gardens. Their eggs overwinter under rocks, in the soil, and hidden crevices.
Red-Legged Grasshoppers
Among North America’s most abundant grasshoppers, red-legged grasshoppers (Melanoplus femurrubrum) munch on herbaceous plants. Watch for them in fields, prairies, roadsides, and open woodlands.
Yellowish sides and back contrast with black dorsal patterns. The hind legs sport red to brown hues. As opportunistic herbivores, these grasshoppers devour grasses, weeds, crops, and garden plants.
Mild infestations go unnoticed but heavy populations can severely damage gardens and agriculture. Red-legged grasshoppers grow over 2 inches long as adults. Nymphs hatch in spring and feed until cold weather arrives.
Arrow-Shaped Orb Weavers
This aptly named spider (Micrathena sagittata) owes its common name to the female’s arrow-shaped abdomen. Beyond this, vivid red striped legs grab your attention on this otherwise black arachnid.
Females weave vertical spiral orb webs in brushy areas, forest edges, and gardens. They bite humans only in self defense, inflicting a minor sting. Arrow-shaped orb weavers prey on flying insects that get trapped in their webs.
These spiders overwinter as juveniles or eggs. In spring, the spiders mature, mate, and produce an egg sac. Females guard the egg sac until spiderlings emerge. They live for about a year.
Red-Legged Buprestid
This metallic wood boring beetle (Buprestis rufipes) depends on trees for survival. It lays eggs inside damaged or recently dead pines, oaks, maples, and other deciduous trees.
Emerald wing covers hide the beetle’s red legs and brownish red thorax. Yellow dots adorn its wings and body. Adults feed on tree sap and burrow into the wood. After hatching, larvae tunnel through their host tree, emerging next spring.
Catch these beetles visiting fallen trees or the stumps of recently felled trees. Their presence signals the wood already has insect infestations.
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Fields and open areas host this large wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus). Females dig burrows in the ground to host their eggs. They stock these burrows with paralyzed katydids, crickets, grasshoppers, and cicadas.
The stunned insects serve as live food sources for wasp larvae after hatching. These wasps measure over 1.5 inches long with dense golden hairs on the head and thorax. Dark wings and a black abdomen offer more contrasts against its red legs.
Fiercely territorial, these wasps bat away intruders who venture too close to their burrows. Tread carefully to avoid getting stung.
Red-Legged Ham Beetles
Don’t let this beetle’s (Necrobia rufipes) name confuse you. It earns its common name from the cured ham it infests but red-legged ham beetles feast on dead flesh and insects.
These pests damage fish, meat, cheese, and preserved animal products. They are small beetles, measuring 5-7mm long. Metallic blue wings cover most of the body. The legs and head are an orangish red hue.
In addition to cured meats, look for these beetles around dead animals. Their presence indicates the onset of decay. Red-legged ham beetles have spread globally through international food shipments.
Master Blister Beetles
Get down in the dirt to find this ground hugging blister beetle (Lytta magister). It lives in scrublands and deserts of the American west. The beetle’s black wings and head contrast against an orange-red thorax and legs.
Only growing to 1.5cm long, master blister beetles spend their time on low vegetation. The beetles lay eggs in underground burrows or hidden under rocks. The larvae develop for 1-2 years before emerging.
This blister beetle exudes a toxic chemical called cantharidin when threatened. The substance is a skin irritant for anyone handling the beetle. It’s best to look but not touch.
Cardinal Spiders
Also called the Red Legged Running Spider, this arachnid’s scientific name (Phidippus cardinalis) reveals its cardinal red legs. The body varies from whitish-gray to jet black. Its cephalothorax may also show red hues.
An active hunter, the Cardinal Spider doesn’t build a web. It runs down prey and uses its jumping ability to launch attacks. Watch for these spiders hunting in gardens, woodlands, and shaded vegetation.
Cardinal Spiders produce an egg sac in summer and fall. The young hatch in autumn and overwinter as spiderlings. This species lives for about one year.
Takeaways On Red Legged Bugs
While we covered some common red legged species, there are many more out there. These colorful legs may be an evolutionary advantage, aposematic warning, or simple DNA quirk.
Whatever the reason, red legged insects and arachnids keep nature’s palette vivid. Watch for them on your next hike, stroll through the garden, or cleaning out the old shed. Just be sure to look and not handle venomous species.
What is a clover mite?
Clover mites are close relatives of ticks and spiders and are true mites, not insects. They are small household-invading mites that have long front legs. To the naked eye they are no more than tiny red bugs and appear no larger than a pinhead.
For the most part they feed on clover, grassy lawns, plants and weeds and tend to appear by the thousands in the spring and fall months.
Why do I have a clover mite problem?
Clover mites will crawl from the ground to invade your home through cracks and tiny openings around windows and doors.
Inside, you may find these tiny bugs crawling around window sills, on walls, or directly on windows. No larger than a pinhead, these red insects will leave behind a tell-tale stain when smashed.
On the exterior, you may find thousands of tiny red bugs congregating in large numbers on siding, brick walls and other outside surfaces. These household mites are often attracted to the sunniest side of the house or foundation.
Meet the Bug You Didn’t Know You Were Eating | Deep Look
FAQ
What are the little bugs with red legs?
Clover mites are nuisance pests. Their penchant for invading homes and businesses in large numbers makes them so. The good news is that clover mites cannot bite and are not harmful to humans or pets. They do not cause structural damage.
Are clover mites harmful to humans?
- They don’t bite: Clover mites are not blood-sucking and do not bite humans or animals.
- They don’t transmit diseases: They do not carry or transmit any diseases.
- They don’t damage homes: Clover mites are not wood-eating insects and do not cause structural damage to buildings.
- They are a nuisance: While not harmful, clover mites can be a nuisance due to their large numbers and the red stains they leave behind when crushed.
- They are not found indoors for long: Clover mites cannot survive in indoor environments and will likely die within a few days.
What is the weird bug with red legs?
| Common name | Scientific name | Site name |
|---|---|---|
| Common Red-legged Robberfly | Dioctria rufipes | Wirlybones Wood, Ratby |
| Common Red-legged Robberfly | Dioctria rufipes | Sapcote |
| Common Red-legged Robberfly | Dioctria rufipes | sapcote |
| Common Red-legged Robberfly | Dioctria rufipes | Hill Hole Quarry |
Are all red mites chiggers?
People commonly mistake chiggers for clover mites due to their similar appearance. Clover mites pose no threat to human health but they destroy lawns and plant foliage whereas chiggers target and consume live skin cells. A few specific qualities including size help distinguish these tiny red bugs from each other.
What bugs have red legs?
Some bugs have red legs regardless of their main color. These bugs vary from ground crawlers to flying or even jumping species. Bugs with red legs are found all around the world. Here are some of the most notable species with different red leg nuances. 1. Red-Legged Purseweb Spider
Is the red rash on the lower left leg from lack of circulation?
Stasis dermatitis is a skin inflammation that develops in people with poor circulation. It often occurs in the lower limbs as there is pooling of blood seen, leading to an increased pressure on veins. Other causes may be due to eczema, psoriasis, cellulitis, skin infections, etc.
How many legs do red bugs have?
Most red bugs and mites have six or eight legs, depending on whether they’re insects or arachnids. These tiny creatures have oval or tear-shaped bodies, but their small size can make identification difficult without a strong magnifying lens.
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 are red bugs?
Red bugs can be various species of beetles, mites, arachnids, or insects. They range in size from 0.01” to 0.35” (0.4 – 9 mm) long and can be as tiny as needing a magnifying glass to see, or as easily recognizable as the scarlet lily beetle with its bright red body.
What are some red bugs found in homes?
Some red bugs you could find in your home are red spider mites, red scarlet beetles, or black and red boxelder bugs. The most common small bugs with red bodies are chiggers and red clover mites.