Common Red Soldier Beetle

Commonly found in gardens, meadows, and grasslands, often resting on open-structured flowers like cow parsley or daisies.

Adults feed on aphids, other small insects, pollen, and nectar; larvae are predatory and eat snails or slugs.

Diurnal insects often seen in large numbers during the summer months; frequently observed mating on flowers.

Beneficial to the ecosystem and gardeners as they help control aphid populations and assist in pollination; they are harmless to humans.