The Bee-Hive Beetle

That’s bright!

It’s got bright red and black striped warning colouration. It’s the Bee-Hive Beetle, Trichodes alvearius, named by Johan Christan Fabricius in 1792.

According to UK Beetle Recording (yes, there is such a thing), “This small family includes 14 species recorded from Britain, all of which are local, rare, or probably extinct here.”

The species Trichodes alvearius and another, the Bee-Eating Beetle, Trichodes apiarius, “Have not been seen since the 19th century and are likely to be extinct.”

Here in Italy, in the warmth of the sun, watching the adult eat pollen, I’m glad that it’s not extinct here.