DESCRIPTION: Approximately 9 - 11mm in length. A Soldier Beetle with a red head that has a certain amount of black behind (and occasionally in front of) the eyes. The red pronotum can be plain or bear various black markings. The legs vary from all red to having some black but are not ringed at the apices. The elytra is reddish and sometimes sports a darker triangular area.  There is a dark form of this species and a red form, the former has dusky red/orange elytra and darker femora, the latter lacks any black on the pronotum and legs and is red throughout. BEHAVIOUR: A predatory species feeding on smaller insects, usually found on flowers. The ground-hunting  larvae feed on snails and worms. DISTRIBUTION: Widespread and fairly common although in Scotland more localised and found near coastal areas. HABITAT: A species that likes rough meadows, flowery grassland and rich herbage. PERIOD: May to August.