Have a beetle hunting weekend

Oil beetles are great indicators of the health of our countryside and Buglife is hoping that your sightings might help confirm if there really are only four of the eight native species remaining in the UK.

If you want to go out beetle hunting this weekend, you'll want a sunny day and a wildflower-rich area with some open ground. Coastal paths are ideal as they often offer unmanaged vegetation providing shelter as well as bare soil in which the female oil beetles can lay their eggs.



When the eggs hatch the leggy larvae climb up onto flowers and lie waiting to hitch a ride on a bee's back. They live in the nests of solitary bees where they feed on pollen and nectar stores as well as bee eggs. They pupate through the winter and emerge as adults in the spring.

If you're lucky you might spot them mating or possibly even digging at the edge of footpaths to lay their eggs. The larger females can be up to 40mm long.

If you're out and about and happen across a sizeable shiny beetle capable of exuding unpleasant fluids, you might be forgiven for grabbing your camera and thinking of Buglife. But did you know that many of British beetles fit this description?

Bloody-nosed beetle © Rockwolf

If your beetle is around 20mm long and produces a blood-red fluid from its mouthparts when threatened you'll be delighted to know you've found an aptly names bloody nosed beetle. These guys are often found in the same habitats as oil beetles as they enjoy grassland and heathland.

Rove beetle © Iain Lawrie

Another oil beetle lookalike is the rove beetle, possibly the most well-known of which is the Devil's coach horse. These black beetles also have a use for foul smelling fluids which they squirt from their abdomens to deter predators. They overwinter as pupae in leaf litter and will be emerging now in our parks, hedgerows, woodlands and meadows. Watch out though, as these have a powerful bite.

The minotaur beetle is one of our species of dung beetle © Paul Ritchie

Dung beetles will be emerging soon as well. Their recycling behaviours play an important part in getting nutrients back into the soil. They commonly have grooved shields with large strong front limbs and elongated back legs for holding onto dung balls whilst rolling them along.

Click beetle © Erica Prothero

Click beetles are another wonder of the British bug world. If they are threatened or fall onto their backs they have the ability to propel themselves into the air by flexing the joint between their thorax and abdomen. This makes the characteristic clicking sound by which they have earned their name. Usually around 25mm long, they are also visitors to gardens, hedgerows, meadows and grasslands and will be most visible between May and July.

Violet ground beetle © Carim Nahaboo

Violet ground beetles are large and shiny with long legs and can be distinguished from oil beetles by the streaks of violet down the sides of their bodies. You can find these in parks, woodlands and hedgerows and they quite like hiding under logs or rocks in the heat of the day.

If you're not confident of your oil beetle IDs print off the Buglife oil beetle ID guide. You don't need a net or any special equipment to be involved with the Oil Beetle Hunt. Just a camera and some enthusiasm. Let us know about your findings by commenting below or post your spring pics to our photo group.