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Project Noah Nature School
Ptomaphila lachrymosa
Ptomaphila lachrymosa has distinctive markings: orange-brown, black lumps on elytra, flat edge along elytra and pronotum. Body up to 3 cm long.
Near or on dead animals in forests and heathlands.
Carrion Beetles feed on dead animal carcasses and maggots (larvae). They fly at night and are attracted to lights. Which is presumably why this one was on the frame of our sliding glass door one evening.
Spotted on Nov 27, 2013
Submitted on Aug 29, 2014
4 Comments
Nice one! So different from ours in the US and Mexico.
I'm very appreciative of their work, Mark. We get a lot of roadkill around our place. Would stink to high heaven if the carcasses didn't disappear quickly. I thought so too, Rob. Almost like they are advertising their services.
Great beetle, colours are so perfectly morbid.
It's a rotten job but someone's got to do it.