Cantharis livida

Appearance

''Cantharis livida'' reaches a length of 10–15 millimetres . The body of this species is flat and long, with a weak exoskeleton. The colour is quite variable, depending on the subspecies. Elytra are usually yellow or reddish-brown, but in the subspecies ''rufipes'' they are black or dark brown. The head, the thorax, the abdomen are bright red or orange. The long antennae are reddish, with darker tips. The legs are reddish, with brownish tarsi.

These soldier beetles can be found on flowers, trees and shrubs from May to July, hunting for small insects. Also the larvae are predators, feeding on snails and earthworms,

Naming

* ''Cantharis livida var. adusta'' Reitter
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. inscapularis'' Pic, 1909
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. luteiceps'' Schilsky
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. melaspis'' Chevrolat
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. menetriesi'' Faldermann, 1838
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. nigripes'' Schilsky, 1889
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. rufipes'' Herbst, 1784
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. scapularis'' Redtenbacher 1858
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. sicula'' Bourgeois, 1893
⤷  ''Cantharis livida var. varendorffi'' Reitter, 1904

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe, in the East Palearctic ecozone and North Africa.

Habitat

''Cantharis livida'' lives in bushes, edges of forests and meadows.