Scarlet malachite beetle - Join In
Join in the Scarlet malachite beetle hunt - it's easy! Download our free Scarlet malachite beetle identification chart and head outdoors and look for Scarlet malachite beetles! Don’t forget to come back and submit your Scarlet malachite beetle records and photos online.
 Richard Loader.jpg) |
| Scarlet malachite beetle (Malachius aeneus) © Richard Loader |
Where to look for a Scarlet malachite beetle?
Scarlet malachite beetles are found in meadows and road verges rich in wild flowers. The beetles will be found walking up the tallest flowers or grass stems and making short flights amongst the vegetation. Village greens and commons are good for the beetle, as it seems to have an association with thatched roofs. It is thought the adults may hibernate in thatch and larvae are thought to develop there too, probably feeding on other invertebrates living there.
Taking photos of Scarlet malachite beetles
We would like to use your photos to identify the species of beetle that you have found. Here are some tips for taking photos of beetles:
- Please try and take pictures as close as you can get to the beetle (use the macro setting on your camera if you have it), and make sure the beetle is in focus!
- To help us with the identification of the beetle please take a photo of the beetle so we can see the colour pattern on the wing cases.
How to report you sightings?
If you have seen an Scarlet malachite beetle and taken a photo - move onto 'Step 3: Sumbit results' to complete our simple online form.
