Pyrrhocoris apterus

Commonly known as firebug, this inodorous bug mesures about 1cm. It lives in small groups often at the base of trees and feeds mainly on seeds. It can also eat the eggs of other insects and even dead insects. Mating occurs in spring, it is amazing due to the fact that it lasts many hours. We can easily observe the individual bugs move around backwards during coupling. The female lays between 50 to 60 eggs in a burrow it digs into a wetland. The larvae hatch in May and become adult at the beginning of winter.