Unusual orange / red bug on my cosmos

cathy.jo

Can anyone help me identify this bug which seems to be mating all over my recently purchased cosmos plant. I had bought it , left it in the wheelbarrow and noticed this evening it was covered in these wee chaps !!
Many Thanks for advice 
Cathy

cathy.jo

PS I found this photo on the internet as my photos came out blurry. Although I found the photo on the internet after searching “ Orange/ Red bugs on cosmos “ the article it was attached to was in Spanish so couldn’t find the name but this is exactly what it looks like 😁

Fire

Rhagonycha fulva - black footed soldier beetle - aka the bonking beetle?

They favour asteraceae, among others. 

wild edges

Soldier beetle, it's a cover-all name for a few similar looking species. They're one of the good guys in the garden as they like to snack on aphids (when they're not shagging on your flowers, which they seem to do non-stop).

wild edges

lol I think bonking beetle is my new favourite bug name.

granma

   

cathy.jo

Thanks everyone ! 😁
Glad to know theyre not harmful to the plant ! Id never heard of “ the bonking beetle “ before 😂😂😂

Papi Jo

wild edges said:

Soldier beetle, it's a cover-all name for a few similar looking species. They're one of the good guys in the garden as they like to snack on aphids (when they're not shagging on your flowers, which they seem to do non-stop).

Those lovely 'bonking beetles' regularly come to my garden in July. They are fond of my roses, and many other flowers. Yesterday I spotted them having a threesome on a specimen of Eupatorium cannabinum (hemp-agrimony) but did not have my camera at hand.

Here's a pic of a foursome  I took some years ago in the countryside

Fire

Wow, they really are always bonking! Every photo, every moment.