© Norwegian Journal of Entomology. 24 June 2020 The firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) new to the Norwegian fauna – with an explosive expansion in Northern Europe ANDERS ENDRESTØL & STEFFEN ROTH Endrestøl, A. & Roth, S. 2020. The firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) new to the Norwegian fauna – with an explosive expansion in Northern Europe. Norwegian Journal of Entomology 67, 81–90. The Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) is presented new to the Norwegian fauna. Several hundred individuals were observed in a residential area in southeast Norway, centred around two Tilia trees. P. apterus has had an explosive expansion in Northern Europe the recent years, and its range expansion and means of expansion is discussed. Key words: Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Pyrrhocoridae, Pyrrhocoris apterus, Norway, Northern Europe, range expansion. Anders Endrestøl, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Sognsveien 68, NO-0855 Oslo, Norway. E-mail:
[email protected] Steffen Roth, University Museum of Bergen, Department of Natural History, P.O.Box 7800, NO-5020 Bergen. Email:
[email protected] Introduction coridae) is an example of a true bug that has expanded its range northwards the last decades There are about 470 species of Heteroptera (Voigt 2004, Tolsgaard 2005). Pyrrhocoridae registered in Norway (Ødegaard & Endrestøl Amyot & Serville, 1843 contains about 30 genera 2015). Some of these have become established and 300 species worldwide, with 13 genera and 43 or introduced in Norway the recent years, either species present in the Palearctic Region (Kerzhner as a result of natural range expansion or human 2001). The genus Pyrrhocoris Fallén, 1814 is activity (e.g.