STRANGE INSECTS?

[Lautrec]

 All of a sudden we seem to be seeing quite a few of these small flying beetles in the house. I have tried to get a photo without success. The body is about 1 cm long;dark red in colour with two long antennas. Six legs; and they fly. Are they harmful at all eg. eating the woodwwork etc? Would be pleased and relieved to know!

[TWINKLE]

Is it any of these creepy crawlies?

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blattaria

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendarme_(insecte)

 

[Suandpete]

    We have them too - I believe them to be cardinals (French name) Pyrochroa coccinea - according to my French book of insects they live in woodpiles and come into the house with the logs for the fire. Apparently they prey on other insects.  Ours seem to die quickly - we see a few flying around but mostly find them dead.

[TWINKLE]

If this is what they are Lautrec then don't worry - they don't like living inside but like old tree trunks and woodpiles as Suandpete said.

http://www.vertdeterre.com/nature/animal/insecte-cardinal.htm

[Teamedup]

One of those links was about gendarmes. Do gendarmes fly?  I saw one about a month ago, far too early and just one. There mating is a very strange dance really and you rarely see one wandering around in spring time.

[TWINKLE]

I love gendarmes - they are so sociable,  but no I don't think they can fly TU, otherwise my daughter wouldn't be able to take so many of them prisoner in tupperware boxes[:)]

[Lautrec]

Thanks everybody for your info, with which I have been able to determine this insect. It is definitely not a Gendarme, as they never ask for my papers, but after checking with Google, I am now positive that they are Cardinals, who can fly!

 They have entered into our house with the logs, which at this time of the year, we are using daily. Yesterday I easily caught eight of them in my hands and they were consigned back to the woodpile. So no doubt they will be brought back into the house when I refuel my log fire. Lets see who gets tired of it first!