Black and yellow longhorn beetle, Rutpela maculata. These beetles are usually found in areas close to woodland, where there is plenty of dead wood for their larvae to feed on. They have long antennae but no horns! Females lay their eggs on fallen trees and branches, or rotting stumps. The larvae live within the wood, feeding on it, for two […]
Black-headed Cardinal Beetle, Pyrochroa coccinea, Adults are short-lived and have a brief season, usually appearing in April and often seen under loose bark. Their red colouring, often a sign of toxicity, puts off other insects from predating on them.
Common red soldier beetle, Rhagonycha fulva. Quite a common sight within meadows in the summer and often seen as mating pairs. Fond of hogweed and cow parsley. Photo Stephen Middleton
False blister beetle, Ischnomera cyanea. This beetle is about 12 mm long with bright iridescent blue/green elytra (wing cases), which sometimes gape to expose the body or wings. The top sections of its back legs are quite swollen.
Seven spot ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata. Probably the most well known beetle in the UK. The red body with black spots acts as a warning to predators that they taste awful. They feed both on aphids and scale insects and vegetation matter and fungi. There are 6,000 known species of Ladybird. The UK seven spot is becoming vastly outnumbered by another […]
Wasp beetle, Clytus arietis, The wasp beetle, is a wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle. It is harmless but is protected by its wasp-like colours and movements. The larvae live in dead wood. It also emanates a wasp buzz-like noise when threatened. They are not to be confused with another wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle, Rutpela maculata.
