Hello,

I live in Belgium and since a couple of years my parents (living in a small rural village) are plagued with this red bug. I have never seen it anywhere else. Maybe it has come along with some exotic plant ?

It lives in dead leaves and mostly crawls around, but when you blow it away from your sleeve, it can fly a little bit. Youngsters are all orange, adults are deeper red with black spots. They don't come inside the house.

Does anyone know it ?

Thanks for your help !

Kristina

Looks like Box Elder Beetles. Here's a site with some info on them and how to control them.
Boxelder Bug Management Guidelines--UC IPM (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74114.html)

I saw a bug almost identical to that in the us, last year. The first time I'd ever seen them. They were in a small area of a gravel parking lot, right next to some steps. They didn't seem dangerous, or particularly interested in anything. I actually think they're kind of pretty and had fun watching them crawling around.

OK, the point to all that was to let you know that it's a type of bug present in other parts of the world. Rather or not it's been carried from one area to the other, I couldn't say.

Hello,
Thanks for your help, but I don't think this is the right one. "ours" have much more flashy patterns on their backs and the adults are not black like these (and have not such visible wings either - I don't know how to explain this, I'm not familiar with entomology :) )

Greetings,
Kristina

HHeath, thanks ! Indeed they are not dangerous at all and I like to watch them too.
So you think they are not native to Belgium ?

I think I may have found it:

Pyrrhocoris apterus, the Fire Bug, in Guernsey (http://www.cwgsy.net/private/gsybiorec/entomology/files/pyrrhocoris_files/pyrrhocoris.html)

Or:

Wild Plants of Malta and Gozo - Eurydema ornatum (Ornamental Shield Bug) (http://www.maltawildplants.com/!gfx/Nature/maltawildlife.php?species=Eurydema%20ornatum&ext=&type=adult)

HHeath, thanks ! Indeed they are not dangerous at all and I like to watch them too.
So you think they are not native to Belgium ?

I really don't know. Both of the possible matches I found are of bugs known in europe. Some bugs have cousins all over the world, though.

Yes Hheath, that's him indeed!
THANKS!!

Greetz,
K.

i think i may have found it:

Pyrrhocoris apterus, the Fire Bug, in Guernsey (http://www.cwgsy.net/private/gsybiorec/entomology/files/pyrrhocoris_files/pyrrhocoris.html)

or:

Wild Plants of Malta and Gozo - Eurydema ornatum (Ornamental Shield Bug) (http://www.maltawildplants.com/!gfx/Nature/maltawildlife.php?species=Eurydema%20ornatum&ext=&type=adult)

Very good, Hheath. They are indeed cousins and not dangerous unless you lay down near a nest. Combing them out of your hair could hurt. (supposed to be funny?)