About Spilostethus saxatilis (Scopoli, 1763)
Spilostethus saxatilis (Scopoli, 1763) is a species of bug that reaches an adult length of 8.5–12.5 millimetres, or 0.33–0.49 inches. The bodies of these bugs have distinct black and red markings of varying shapes. The pronotum is red, marked with two broad, irregularly shaped longitudinal black stripes. The hemilytra have mixed black and red markings, while the membrane is entirely black with no white spot. The outer edge of the corium is black, and the connexivum has alternating bands of red and black. Both the antennae and legs of this species are black. This species occurs in the Euro-Mediterranean-Turanian Region, with a more northerly distribution than the related species Spilostethus pandurus, and can be found as far east as Iran. It is present across most of Europe (including Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine), and also occurs in the Oriental realm. These bugs favor warm, dry open habitats including meadows and fields. They are also found on rocks; this habitat association is reflected in the species name saxatilis, which derives from the Latin word saxum, meaning rock.
