The elytra cover the wings and most of the abdomen and are a dark shiny red, and terminate in a clearly visible black patch on the apical end – this is one of their key identifying features.

Introduced to North America, it is well established in British Columbia and Quebec and recently recorded in Ontario.

Larvae prey on ground-dwelling invertebrates, such as slugs and snails, and live at the base of long grasses.

The adults, which are active between June and August, spend much of their short lives mating and can often be seen in pairs.

[8] Rhagonycha fulva is commonly found on open-structured flowers and can be spotted in grassland, woodland, along hedgerows and in parks and gardens, often on flower species such as Anthriscus sylvestris (Cow Parsley) and others of the genus Heracleum (Hogweed) and the family Asteraceae during the summer.