INSECTS

COLEOPTERA / ROVE BEETLES

Beetles are usually distinguished by having forewings modified into hard wing cases known as elytra, which cover and protect the hindwings and abdomen.

Devil's Coach-horse Ocypus olens (30mm long) is a ferocious nocturnal predator seen from mid-spring to late autumn. It hunts invertebrates and can give a powerful bite. When threatened the abdomen curls up like a scorpion's tail. When handled they release a foul-smelling substance from the abdomen. They can fly but prefer to run, something they do very well. During daytime they often hide under logs, stones and in compost heaps. Females lay their eggs in soil and the larvae hatch and spend the winter as pupae, emerging during the following spring as adults.