Pyrrhocoris apterus
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
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.
The firebug generally mates in April and May. Its diet consists primarily of seeds from lime trees and mallows (see below). It can often be found in groups near the base of lime tree trunks, on the sunny side. The firebug can be seen in tandem formation when mating, which can last from 12 hours up to 7 days. It has been proposed that this long copulation duration... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 2 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 3 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 4 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 5 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 7 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 9 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 11 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 14 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a European Firebug sighting in Białowieża National Park on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 158 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, May, July and September
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a European Firebug in Białowieża National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Firebug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate European Firebug sightings, Białowieża National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Gauja National Park (Latvia, about 40%) and Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 40%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the European Firebug that you can see in Białowieża National Park (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Forest Bug (about 30%), Green Shield Bug (about 20%) and European Striped Shield Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Firebug is recorded against all the insects logged in Białowieża National Park (38 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
