Do Not Step on This Invasive Red and Black Bug in Idaho and Utah

My wife was picking grapes from our garden the other day to make grape juice, and we came across a bug that we hadn’t seen before. It was red and black colored, but didn’t look like a ladybug or a box elder beetle, the other red and black bugs we are used to seeing.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a black widow either, as those are also black and red colored. This bug was shaped like a box elder beetle, but much more red, and the color design on its back looked like a voodoo mask. We encountered a few more as we went through the grapes, and they didn’t seem interested in biting us or flying away.

This picture shows the differences between our most common red and black bugs. Also, ladybugs and box elder beetles can fly, while the new pest can’t.

This Invasive Bug From Europe Has Appeared in Idaho, Utah, and California

We decided to take a picture of one of them and let Google do its job, and discovered this is indeed a new bug in our area and that we should not squish it. The voodoo beetle is a Pyrrhocoris apterus, or a red firebug. They only recently started appearing in the United States. The first reported sighting in the US was in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2008, and more recently in Southern Idaho cities like Twin Falls and Burley in 2021.

The firebug is considered an invasive species because it isn’t native to the United States. The bug comes from Europe and has established itself in Utah and Idaho, and has been seen in California, but doesn’t appear to have established itself there yet.

If You See This Red and Black Bug in Idaho or Utah, Don’t Squish It

The invasive bug isn’t a threat to humans or pets and mainly eats seeds, so it’s more of a nuisance as it might enter your home or infest your grape vines. If the firebug does get into your house, do not step on it or squash it.

Smashing a red firebug can be a stinky event. They release a foul odor when squished or disturbed and can stain fabrics and carpet.

READ MORE: Are Squash Bugs Considered Stink Bugs

Have you seen these ‘voodoo bugs’ around your home or yard yet? What about these other pests that might be bugging your neighborhood?