Darwin-tree-of-life-genome-project
Guides
Alydus calcaratus
ant bug
Alydus calcaratus is a large, dark plant bug in the family Alydidae with a Holarctic distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and northern North America. It is the sole representative of its family in northern Central Europe outside the Alps. Adults are 10–12 mm, blackish with an orange-red dorsal abdomen visible only in flight, and exhibit wasp-like resemblance. Nymphs are convincing ant mimics with an unclear relationship to ant nests. The species feeds primarily on fallen legume seeds, with carrion-feeding also observed.