Common Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis

Named for their vivid scarlet or fire-red coloring that echoes a cardinal bird, these beetles are absolutely impossible to miss against green foliage. The distinctly saw-edged (serrated) antennae give them their species name and look almost like tiny feather dusters. Adults are ambush predators, hunting smaller insects and larvae throughout European forests in summer.

While technically nocturnal, they're regularly spotted during the day among vegetation, with their bright red serving as a classic warning signal to predators.