''Arocatus roeselii'' is a species of lygaeid bug.

Distribution

This species can be found in most of Europe, in the Middle East and Caucasus.Fauna europaea
/ref> It is not present in the British isles. In 2008, it was reported in large numbers in London by the

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

, England, but the species was later identified as a related species, '' Arocatus longiceps'', that has a more elongated head and generally a reddish body.

Habitat

These bugs preferably live under the bark of Alder or Sycamore.Amiens Fauna and Flora
/ref>

Description

''Arocatus roeselii'' can reach a length of .
/ref> This species is very variable. The upperside of these bugs is red and black, while the abdomen is orange. Head, antennae, scutellum and legs are black. Connexivum is red. Hemelytral membrane is translucent, dark brown. The head length is about the same as the distance between the eyes.
/ref>Cuiqing Gao, Előd Kondorosy, Wenjun B
A REVIEW OF THE GENUS AROCATUS FROM PALAEARCTIC AND ORIENTAL REGIONS (HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA: LYGAEIDAE)
/ref>

Biology

Adult bugs are present all year around with several generations. They overwinter communally under bark. Mating takes place in May. The larvae develop in spring. The new generation adults at the beginning of the summer. They feed on the seeds of Plane trees (genus ''

Platanus ''Platanus'' is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae. All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. All except f ...

''), on alders (''

Alnus glutinosa ''Alnus glutinosa'', the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations whe ...

'', ''

Alnus incana ''Alnus incana'', the grey alder or speckled alder, is a species of multi-stemmed, shrubby tree in the birch family, with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Tolerant of wetter soils, it can slowly spread with runners ...

'') and in other deciduous trees.

References

Lygaeidae Hemiptera of Europe Insects described in 1829 {{Pentatomomorpha-stub