Other Common Names
Hogweed Bonking Beetle in England.
Explanation of Names
Rhagonycha fulva (Scopoli 1763)
Size
7-10 mm; female larger than male
Identification
Adult: elytra orange basally, shading to brown distally, and terminating in black tips; head and pronotum orangish-red, pronotum as wide as elytra posteriorly, narrower anteriorly; antennae long, black, except for basal segment; tip of abdomen extends slightly beyond elytra; underside orangish-red; femora orangish-red, tibiae slightly darker, tarsi blackish
Range
well-established in British Columbia and Quebec [Pat Bouchard]; recently recorded in Ontario from BugGuide photos
here and
here
native to Eurasia; introduced to North America some time ago
Habitat
fields, meadows, hedgerows; adults often found on flowerheads of herbaceous plants during the day
Food
adults feed on small insects that visit flowers; larvae feed on snails, slugs, and ground-dwelling insects
Life Cycle
one generation per year; overwinters as a larva
Remarks
very common and widespread in Europe
See Also
Wharf Borer (
Nacerdes melanura) has dark femora, pale antennae, and a different-shaped pronotum:
Other congeners lack black-tipped elytra and/or other color and size characteristics described above.
