Red Fire Bug: A New Idaho Invader?

The red fire bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae), is an introduced and invasive true bug with a vividly colored red and black body. Since its introduction and establishment, the insect has expanded its known range in the United States to include southern Idaho, with numerous specimens and populations first found in 2021 near Twin Falls and Burley. This bulletin profiles the recent invasive, providing a physical description, discussing its life cycle, and offering pest management advice and a prognosis for its expansion in Idaho.