Cantharis pallida

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    Description

    This orangey soldier beetle is one of several similarly coloured beetles that belong to the Cantharidae group. In this species the head, pronotum and legs are all predominantly orange.

    Identification difficulty
    Habitat

    They are frequent visitors to thistles and umbelliferous flowers, where they probably prey on other flower-feeding insects.

    When to see it

    May to August.

    UK Status

    Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain.

    VC55 Status

    Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 14 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.

    • Graham Calow
      Sapcote
      05 June 2013
      specimen examined
    • AJ Cann
      Spearwort Fields
      04 June 2016
    • Graham Calow
      Sapcote
      05 June 2013
      specimen examined
    • Graham Calow
      Sapcote
      05 June 2013
      specimen examined

    Leicestershire & Rutland Map

    MAP KEY:

    Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
    Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

    UK Map

    • Kate Nightingale
      Charnwood Lodge
      25 June 2015
    • egaten
      Thurlaston garden
      11 June 2015