The gendarme, Pyrrhocoris apterus, also called Swiss, soldier or midday seeker, is easy to identify: with its red and black shell and its tendency to group together, it does not go unnoticed in the garden. It sometimes causes concern: gardeners sometimes suspect it of causing damage to plants, others look askance at this crowd of red and black insects massed on the trunks or along the walls, in the sun... Let everyone rest assured! The gendarme is a completely harmless insect. It does not nibble the leaves of plants, nor its roots, does not generally sting humans, does not bite, and, unlike the majority of ground bugs, has no odor!
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