Pyrrhocoris apterus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Firebug sighting in Doñana National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 87 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a European Firebug in Doñana National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and November–January, the lowest months. That is one of Doñana National Park's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain against almost none in July.
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.
11th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate European Firebug sightings, Doñana National Park ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Gauja National Park (Latvia, about 40%), Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 40%) and Białowieża National Park (Poland, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Firebug is recorded against all the insects logged in Doñana National Park (13 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.
