Stratton Wood, Swindon, Wiltshire, U.K.
Order : Coleoptera
Family: Cantharidae
SubFamily : Cantharinae
Genus : Cantharis
Species: Cantharis rustica
This species is widespread across much of Europe and is usually found in open woodland, uncultivated meadows, and other areas of long grass. It is a small beetle with a length of up to 13mm and is quite common in the southern half of the UK where it is usually seen from mid-May to early July. It is a predator of small insects and usually hunts on flowers like thistles and umbellifers.
Although some cantharids can be difficult to identify, Cantharis rustica is relatively easy as it has a heart-shaped black mark in the centre of the red pronotum and the femora are partially or fully red. A similar species C.fusca has no red on the legs and the black mark is situated further forward on the pronotum.
All my insect pics are handheld single shots of live animals, usually in the wild.
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