Bug FAQMediterranean red bug
Scantius aegyptius · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Pyrrhocoridae
Also called: Red bug, med bug
Source: Wikipedia
Adults are small, about 7 to 9 mm long, with a red back marked by two black spots and black head, antennae and legs. They live on the ground, eat seeds and seed pods, and are considered an invasive crop pest in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The adult’s back is red with two round black spots, while the head, antennae and legs are black. Young bugs (nymphs) may be completely red and develop dark spots as they grow.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 7 to 9 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They live on the ground and feed on seeds and seed pods.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Their diet consists of seeds and seed pods of various plants, especially those in the mallow family.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Nymphs start out completely red and acquire more dark spots with each molt.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Connecticut.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in North America; introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Does the Mediterranean red bug damage garden plants?
Yes, it feeds on seeds and seed pods and can harm garden and crop plants, particularly those in the mallow family.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I recognize an adult Mediterranean red bug?
Look for a small (7 to 9 mm) bug with a red back marked by two black spots and black head, antennae and legs.
Source: Wikipedia
Is this bug a problem in North America?
It is an invasive species that was first recorded in California in 2009 and is considered a pest there.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pyrrhocoridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scantius_aegyptius
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.