Cardinal beetle

The name cardinal beetle typically refers to three different species of beetles. The red-headed or 'common' cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis) is a red to orange beetle with, as the name suggests, a red head. It is about 20 mm long, and is found throughout Britain. The rarer black-headed cardinal beetle (P. coccinea), similarly found at sites across Britain, is larger and a deeper blood red. The scarce cardinal beetle (Schizotus pectinicornis) also has a black head, but is smaller at around 9 mm long. The scarce cardinal is only found at a few sites in Scotland and Wales.