This brightly coloured bug can often be seen in large groups. They have piercing mouth parts which they use to suck food from fallen seeds of various plants but mainly Mallow sp. They are occasionally noted to take other insects. The colouration serves to warn predators of noxious properties, this is called “Aposematic”.
These insects are widespread in southern and central Europe, often occurring in woodland margins, clearings and grassy, scrubby places with bare ground and suitable hibernation sites. They are about 10mm long with most individual adults having short-wings although a few long-winged individuals may occur in any population. They can be seen congregating to hibernate, sometimes under tree bark.
Catalan: Xinxa de malva
Spanish: Chinche roja / Chinche zapatero
Insects in Spain
Read more about the bugs and beasties to be found here in Spain: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/bugs-and-beasties-in-spain/
Wildside Holidays – Spain
Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.
Clive Muir – Wildside Holidays – Walking, wildlife and culture holidays in Spain
I’ve been living in western Andalucía for more than 20 years and spend much of my time researching and running English-language travel websites about Spain. My work covers destinations including Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema and the Caminito del Rey, as well as Wildside Holidays, which focuses on walking, wildlife and nature travel in Spain.
Through Wildside Holidays, I share practical information about Spain’s natural parks, mountains, wildlife and walking destinations, drawing on many years of living and travelling in the country. The aim is to help visitors discover Spain’s natural landscapes responsibly and plan rewarding walking and wildlife experiences.