Harlequin bug
Lygaeus equestris
Adult harlequin bugs are striking red-and-black seed bugs found across much of Europe in sunny meadows, field margins, and dry scrub. They mainly feed on seeds of plants such as swallow-worts and related hosts, piercing them with their beak-like mouthparts. Adults can fly between host plants, but their main defence is chemical: stored plant toxins and foul secretions make them distasteful to predators.
- Type
- Venom
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- ?
- Harlequin bug