"A Nature Observer′s Scrapbook"

Beetles Page 1

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Lesser Stag beetle

Dorcus parallelipipedus

These beetles live in the rotten wood of deciduous trees, mainly beech, elm and ash - and there is no shortage of ash in these parts. They are mainly nocturnal and not often seen in the open, but this one was found on the patio, in a plant tub tray, early one morning having, presumably, misjudged its night time flight path.

It would appear to be limited in distribution to the southern half of England but can be locally common. This specimen was 21mm long (it seemed bigger!) but some males can be up to 32mm in length.

The larvae may spend three or four years within dead timber eating the rotten wood. On maturity they pupate within the timber and emerge as the adult beetle in Spring or Summer with only reproduction in mind. The adults live only a few weeks and do not feed but survive on water and plant juices.

Other beetles, the Ground beetle for one, can be quite lively and will scamper about at speed. But this species is really lethargic on the ground (and quite clumsy in the air) and this specimen allowed itself to be posed for the photo shoot with no difficulty. It was released back to a rotten tree stump from where it could have a second attempt at a night flight to find itself a mate.

Date	Sighting
30.07.1999	Back garden.
12.07.2005	Found marooned in a plant pot tray on the back garden patio.

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Dor beetle

Geotrupes stercorarius

This is another of the cumbersome looking beetles which, lacking any semblance of aerodynamics, still manages to fly quite successfully. The one shown upper right was rescued from a water trough, allowed to dry off for 20 minutes and then, wing cases opened and off it flew with a low rasping droning buzz ('dor' was an old word for 'drone') that could be heard up to ten metres away.

Coincidentally, the beetle in the second image was also rescued from a water trough, which suggests that their flying ability is rather better than their landing technique. This image shows how the wing cases or elytra (modified forewings) hinge forward to allow the wings to unfold to twice the elytra length when fully extended.

The beetles normally frequent grazing pastures - where they dig out a nesting tunnel under suitable dung and line the nest with dung for the larvae to feed on. But they are also found in woodland where they use decaying fungi or rotting plants as a breeding habitat.

Although apparently plain black, they have a blue or green sheen that shows up better in real life and is best suggested in the middle image.

The lower image reveals the mites that these beetles carry around with them - which earns them the name of 'Lousy Watchman'.

This species is identified from similar species by the small 'dimples' on the outer edges of the pronotum (just visible in the upper images). The adult beetles, 16 - 26mm, are classed as fairly common in the UK and are to be found from April to October.

Date	Sighting
10.08.2005	Rescued from water trough in sheep pasture.
10.11.2007	Large 26mm specimen found, crushed, on the patio.
17.08.2008	Another 26mm specimen found in a water bucket by a sheep paddock.

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Ground Beetle

Abax parallelepipedus

There are some 300 plus species of ground beetle in the UK. Of these, 30 plus are all black. But, this is one of the larger ones, measuring up to 22mm (just under an inch) 'nose to tail' discounting palps and antennae so, that narrows the field down quite a bit.

To distinguish this one from the very similar Pterostichus niger, one has to take a close look at the elytra wing cases. P. niger has two pores on each elytra whereas this one has none. Which is all very well if you can get your beetle to sit still long enough to have a really close look at it. But, as the common name suggests, they live in the ground litter and try very hard to get back under protective cover as quickly as possible.

They are preyed upon by all manner of larger vertebrates - rodents, hedgehogs, foxes and badgers, as well as birds. Although some Ground Beetles are vegetarian, many (including this one) are well equiped with a serious pair of jaws and will feed on a wide range of insects, grubs and caterpillars.

Beetle larvae are not well documented.

Date	Sighting
28.04.2004	Late night indoors visitor.
08.07.2007	Common in grass and ground litter.
18.11.2007	22mm specimen in good condition found in damp leaf litter.

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Sexton beetle

Nicrophorus vespilloides

Several beetles are known as Sexton , burying or grave digging beetles for their habit of carrying off the dead. These are carrion eaters and are usually to be found around - or in (!), the corpses of dead animals and birds. The bodies of small creatures are buried by the beetles excavating a hollow under the corpse and dragging it underground. They then lay their eggs by the body which will provide the food source for the emerging larvae.

Despite their gory life style the beetles are good mothers. They stay with the newly hatched grubs, feeding them partially digested food and biting holes in the carcase to allow the grubs to enter it and fend for themselves.

This particular species is only about 16mm long although other Nicrophorus species can reach 30mm in length. The image shows that the beetle can carry a group of mites which will be transported from one food source to another.

Incidentally, the original name for the genus is thought to have been 'Necrophorus' (from necro; a dead body), but somewhere along the line, an early scribe mis-spelled it and the 'nicro' prefix has been perpetuated.

A fascinating insight into the lifestyle and development of the genus is to be found 'here' . The translation from the original German text gives it added character. If the full text seems daunting, there is a very succinct summary at the end of the piece.

Date	Sighting
30.07.1999	Willingham Woods.

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Sexton beetle (2)

Nicrophorus investigator

This Sexton, at 21mm, is somewhat larger than N. vespilloides (above) and has dark reddish tips to its antennae. Other identifying features include the absence of hairs on the thorax and straight tibias on the hind legs. Live specimens show three abdominal segments protruding beyond the elytra. Dead specimens may not show this feature resulting in a rather truncated appearance.

A very similar, but much rarer species in Lincs, N. interruptus has a wider gap between the forward elytral marks and has yellow hairs on its protruding abdominal segments.

The Sextons are strong fliers with a very good sense of smell. They are reputed to be able to smell a carcase up to two miles away - although, in the harsh natural world, I would be surprised if the nearest corpse would be that far away.

I presume the fact that this one flew in through the back door was its attraction to light - and nothing else! Their flight is quite noisy and the clatter they make, banging into windows, doors and lampshades, is enough to make one duck to keep out of their way.

As can be seen in the lower image and that of N. vespilloides, Sexton beetles attract their own problems. It is not unusual to see them carrying quite a colony of parasitic mites.

Date	Sighting
28.07.2004	Attracted by light to back door.

Sexton Beetle (3)

Nicrophorus humator

All the burying beetles (or Sexton beetles) belong to the family Silphidae. This one (at 18 to 27mm) is likely to be the largest found in the UK. There are other all black species, but this one is identified by its orange 'toothbrush-like' antennae, and orange hairs around its mouth, forelegs and the end of its abdomen.

They feed and breed on carrion, and while flying towards the scent of the next meal, are often attracted to light - which accounts for most sightings of them. Otherwise, the surest way to find them is to inspect (!) the corpses of small animals or birds.

The adults are active during the spring and summer months. Being large and cumbersome, the act of flying must be tiring and on landing, often a crash landing, their movement can be quite slow and deliberate (good time for observation). But, once they get their breath back, they are well able so scamper off at a fair pace.

The lower image shows just how far the extended wings protrude beyond the elytra (adapted wings forming hard protective wing cases that pivot upwards in flight). Also note that, in this dead specimen (found in a spiders web), the terminal abdominal segments have shrivelled out of sight.

A description of the Nicrophorus lifestyle is to be found here. The translation from the original German text gives it added character. If the full text seems daunting, there is a very succinct summary at the end of the piece.

Date	Sighting
Sept 1999	Found in Willingham Woods on a dead Pheasant. Took three very good pictures of where it had once been!
31.07.2004	Dead specimen found with wings still extended.
08.08.2007	Six found on a decomposing rabbit carcase on road-side verge.

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'Rove beetle'

Philonthus politus ?

Rove beetles are usually all slim beetles with small wing cases but, they come in all sizes, from the Devil's Coach-horse at 30mm, down to several at only 5mm. There are many genera - and even within the Philonthus genus there are many species. So, positively identifying them is something of a lottery. I think this one at 14mm long, is P. politus but, I wouldn't swear to it.

Many Rove beetles raise the end of their abdomen when disturbed (the Devil's Coach-horse being a classic example), and the upper image shows that reaction. This characteristic earns them the name of 'cock tail' beetles. They are reputed to squirt a strong smelling vapour into the faces of their predators.

They are scavengers and carnivorous, often found around decaying plant and animal matter.

Despite having small elytra (wing cases), their long wings can be very quickly extended and they take flight surprisingly quickly. It is only when they are about to tuck their wings away again that one can see that the wings actually stretch all the way to the end of the abdomen.

Date	Sighting
09.08.2005	Found at mid-day on garage wall.

no common name

Malachius bipustulatus

Malachaius bipustulatus is a small soft bodied beetle covered in short sparse hair. It is only 5 to 8mm in length but, those two red spots at the ends of its elytra (wing cases) are enough to attract ones attention. And, if one looks closely, it also sports tufts of buff hair on its face and at the base of its antennae.

The adult beetle is found from April to July mainly on vegetation, where it feeds on the pollen of grasses and flowers but, later in its season, is also found on trees where it lays its eggs in cracks in the bark.

The larvae are predacious on smaller insects living under the loose bark of trees.

There are five other members of the genus found in the UK but M. bipustulatus is the most common and is to be found throughout the length and breadth of the country.

Date	Sighting
27.06.2004	Found on dead bark at foot of old Chestnut tree.
26.05.2007	Found on foliage by drainage ditch.

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No common name

Anthocomus fasciatus

This is a tiny little beetle only 4mm long. It has to be seen in good light to appreciate that it has red markings.

Despite its size it is a predator and, when initially found on stinging nettles, had an even tinier fly in its mouth. The larvae of some of these species feed on the larvae of wood boring beetles.

A very good image is to be found at
www.coleopterist.org.uk/.../ anthofas.htm

Date	Sighting
07.05.2004	Indoor windowsill visitor.
02.06.2005	On nettles by main gate to sheep paddock..

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Longhorn beetle Sp

Stenocorus meridianus

No common name for this beetle. It is just one of the 60 or so members of the British Longhorn beetle family (Cerambycidae). It is to be found around the fringes of wooded areas since the larvae develop in the damaged timber of diseased deciduous trees and the adult beetles frequent flowers and shrubs in the months of May and June.

Colouration can vary from a uniform dull yellow through to almost black and it can range from 15mm to 25mm in length.

Date	Sighting
19.06.2003	Protected Roadside Verge.

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Longhorn beetle sp

Leptura maculatus

Again, no common name for this Longhorn beetle. But this one does enjoy the not uncommon privilege of an alternative latin name, having been previously placed in the 'Strangalia' genera. This is perhaps the most common of the British Longhorns.

It is to be found around the fringes of wooded areas since the larvae develop in the damaged timber of diseased deciduous trees - and occasionally spruce, and the adult beetles frequent flowers and shrubs from May through to August.

The yellow markings can be very variable, from almost completely yellow through to almost completely black. It ranges in length from 14mm to 20mm.

Date	Sighting
28.06.2003	Little Scrubbs Meadow.

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Wasp beetle

Clytus arietus

It never fails to amaze me the variety of insects that parade themselves around my front door, just to get their pictures taken. This one crawled around for a good ten minutes before opening its wing cases, stretching its wings and staggering off in erratic flight.

Another of the 'Longhorn beetles', it's striking black and yellow markings are the first thing to attract the attention but then it was the great long legs that seemed out of proportion for a beetle, that fascinated me. Body length was 13mm.

This is a tree loving beetle. And we have mature ash and chestnut close by, plus piles of wood and branches. The larvae thrive in dead deciduous timber.

Date	Sighting
30.06.2005	On wall of front door porch.
08.06.2008	Seen on Hogweed on roadside verge.

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'a thick legged flower beetle'

Ischnomera cyanea

In bright sunlight, this beetle is a brilliantly coloured iridescent cyan blue (the lower image hardly does it justice) but, in different lighting conditions, it can appear to be brilliant iridescent green. Quite spectacular. I have seen it referred to both as a 'blue beetle' and as a 'green beetle'. The upper image hints at the colour variation which depends on lighting conditions.

Two specimens were found within days of each other. One, at rest, sunning itself four feet up on a Salix caprea willow and the other at rest, at ground level on buttercup foliage. But, when disturbed, both proved to be quite active, indulging in many short sharp flights.

This is one of only nine species of the Oedemeridae family to be found in the UK. As confirmed by the scale, it was 9mm long.

The larvae live in soft decaying wood.

Date	Sighting
22.05.2005	Found on Salix caprea pendula.
24.05.2005	Found on buttercup foliage.

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Cardinal Beetle

Pyrochroa serraticornis

Usually found on the edges of old woods where the larvae live under the bark of decaying timber, this one was found on an old hawthorn and blackthorn hedge, where there would be no shortage of brash in the hedge bottom. About 15mm long.

A related species, P. coccinea, slightly larger and identified by a black head, is also found in the UK but tends to favour a habitat deeper in the wooded area.

The small detail image better shows the heavily toothed antennae which are a striking feature of this species.

Date	Sighting
27.06.2004	Hay meadow eastern hedge by southern gate.
08.06.2005	Hay meadow western hedge on cleavers.
24.05.2007	Two seen on ditch side Cleavers and Garlic Mustard.

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a 'darkling beetle'

Lagria hirta

The 'common name' is a generic term covering a multitude of species, some 15,000 worldwide.

From the various images that I have seen, there appears to be a slim form (as in the image on the right) which I presume to be the male, and a slightly more rounded form which may well be the female. But, I have yet to see that clarified.

This 8mm beetle has a covering of short hair over its elytra (wingcases) and to a lesser extent over the thorax and head. It is common throughout the UK.

The larval stage survives from late summer through to spring in damp leaf litter. If the environmental conditions are optimal and the mature final instar stage is able to pupate without delay, research has shown that this results in bigger (up to 10mm long), more fertile adults.

Date	Sighting
26.07.2004	First seen, but not identified, on Hedge woundwort.
17.07.2005	Flew in through back door at night, attracted to light - and was identified!
21.07.2005	Four sitting on a windwsill attracted to light.
06.07.2006	One on a windwsill attracted to light.

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cereal Leaf Beetle

Oulema melanopa

At only 5mm in length this cereal leaf beetle could hardly be called conspicuous, but a close inspection shows it to be very handsomely coloured.

Both the larvae, which appear like very small slugs in early summer, and the adult beetles feed on grasses and are considered to be a pest of cereal crops. By eating the surface of the leaves they diminish the vigour of the food plant and thus it's productivity.

The species is reputed to be abundant from April to September. When the food plant dies back, the new adults take refuge in loose litter at ground level where they shelter till the following spring.

Date	Sighting
15.03.2006	4.5mm specimen found on dead grass stalks by hay Meadow eastern hedge.
24.04.2006	5mm specimen found on garage wall.

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Willow Leaf Beetle

Galerucella lineola
......... or Lochmaea caprea ?

This is a case where one 'common name' can relate to more than one specific species. Although Galerucella lineola and Lochmaea caprea can be uniquely identified under a microscope, they appear to be superficially very similar. That both can be found on the same host plant (Salix caprea) only adds to the dilemma.

What could confuse expert opinion even more is that the images alongside are of different specimens so both species may well be represented. The beetles are only about 7mm long.

The group of eggs shown are typical of the Willow Leaf Beetle and several groups were found. The curious thing is that of the three groups I photographed, all contained 18 eggs - maybe just coincidence.

The eggs hatch into small black larvae which then develop into small stocky green caterpillars with black spots and a series of short black lateral bars down the length of the body.

Both larvae and beetles eat the willow leaves and, small though they may be, an infestation can wreck considerable damage to the tree foliage.

Date	Sighting
19.05.2004	Several beetles found on Salix caprea.
26.05.2004	Several groups of eggs found on same tree.

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Click beetle
.... aka Red-brown Skipjack

Athous haemorrhoidalis

The 'Click beetle' family comprises more than 7,000 different species. The one shown here is one of the more common British species. Their usual mode of defence is simply to fall to the ground. Should they land on their backs they have the ability to flip themselves upwards with a sharp clicking sound - and hopefully land right way up. Hence the common name of 'Skip-jack'.

The adults, this one was 13mm long, are to be found from May to August and are omnivorous, taking both small insects and a vegetarian diet. The larvae are strictly vegetarian.

The larvae of the smaller, all brown click beetles, Agriotes lineatus and A. obscurus are well known to gardeners as wireworms, capable of causing severe damage to plant roots.

Date	Sighting
15.05.2005	Found on fence post in N. Paddock.
24.05.2007	Three seen on vegetation close to 2005 sighting in N. Paddock.

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a 'Click Beetle'

Agriotes obscurus

- probably. The photograph leaves something to be desired. But as I moved in for a closer shot, this click beetle did what click beetles do best, it tucked its legs up and fell off the leaf, never to be seen again. I should have been warned - it's antennae are already folded back in stage 1 of it's 'feign dead' defense tactics.

There are over 150 different species of click beetles to be found in Europe - 69 are found in the UK. At about 10 mm long, Agriotes obscurus is one of the more common. A similar species, Agriotes lineatus shares the same geographic distribution and arable habitat but is lighter brown.

Click beetle larvae are the notorious thin yellow 'wireworms' which are the bane of gardeners lives as their vegetarian diet plays havoc with the root systems of vegetable crops, grasses and other plants.

Date	Sighting
24.05.2005	On white dead nettle opposite front door.

Page updated17.08.2008