Firebug
Pyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Status not recordedinsects
The firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) is a species in the family Pyrrhocoridae, order Hemiptera.
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Quick facts about the firebug
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Where does the firebug live?
Not recorded
What is the firebug?
The firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus, is a common insect of the family Pyrrhocoridae. Easily recognisable due to its striking red and black coloration, it may be confused with the similarly coloured though unrelated Corizus hyoscyami (cinnamon bug or squash bug). Pyrrhocoris apterus is distributed throughout the Palaearctic from the Atlantic coast of Europe to northwest China. Beyond its native Palaearctic range, it has been recorded in the United States, Central America, Southern Ontario (As an invasive species), India, and Australia. It has been reported as recently expanding its distribution northwards into mainland United Kingdom and eastward on to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is frequently observed to form aggregations, especially in immature forms, containing tens to perhaps a hundred individuals.
From the Wikipedia article “Pyrrhocoris apterus” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pyrrhocoris_apterus&oldid=1380209140), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the firebug endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the firebug classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumArthropoda
- classInsecta
- orderHemiptera
- familyPyrrhocoridae
- genusPyrrhocoris
- SpeciesPyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Astemma apterum, Cimex apterus, Lygaeus apterus
Other names and names in other languages (55)
- European firebugEnglish
- حشرة النارArabic
- حشرة النار الأوربيةArabic
- chincha les malvesAsturian
- ВеликденчеBulgarian
- Божа кравичкаBulgarian
- CoraletCatalan
- DimonietCatalan
- Poll de moroCatalan
- Xinxa de les malvesCatalan
- ruměnice pospolnáCzech
- IldtægeDanish
- FeuerkäferGerman
- FeuerwanzeGerman
- Gemeine FeuerwanzeGerman
- SchusterkäferGerman
- Σκαθάρι στρατιώτηςGreek
- Πυρροκόρις η άπτεροςGreek
- Ruĝa cimoEsperanto
- ZapateroSpanish
- Chinche de la Malva ArbóreaSpanish
- punalutikasEstonian
- سوسک بالآتشینPersian
- tuliludeFinnish
- GendarmeFrench
- Cherche-midiFrench
- Lygée aptèreFrench
- PyrrhocoreFrench
- Pyrrhocore aptèreFrench
- אדמון מצוירHebrew
- Vatrena stjenicaCroatian
- Beskrilni opančarCroatian
- Vatreni opančarCroatian
- Verőköltő bodobácsHungarian
- DiavolettoItalian
- CarabiniereItalian
- Cimice carabiniereItalian
- Cimice rosso-neraItalian
- Coccinella del diavoloItalian
- Blakė kareivėlisLithuanian
- SarkanblaktsLatvian
- Gemeene Füer-WandluusLow German
- VuurwantsDutch
- kowal bezskrzydłyPolish
- Percevejo-da-TíliaPortuguese
- Vaca-DomnuluiRomanian
- Клоп-солдатикRussian
- Красноклоп бескрылыйRussian
- Cifruša BezkrídlaSlovak
- Rdeči škratecSlovenian
- Ватрена стеницаSerbian
- eldlusSwedish
- Alev TahtakurusuTurkish
- Клоп москальUkrainian
- Червоноклоп червонийUkrainian
Relatives of the firebug
Other species in the same genus Pyrrhocoris.
CompareFirebug vs Pyrrhocoris bicolorFirebug vs Pyrrhocoris carduelisFirebug vs Pyrrhocoris clavimanusFirebug vs Pyrrhocoris forsteri
Common questions
Answered only where our data holds the answer.
What kind of animal is the firebug?
The firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) belongs to the family Pyrrhocoridae in the order Hemiptera.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/firebug
“Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/firebug.
@misc{firebug_2026,
title = {Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/firebug},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}