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Project Noah Nature School
Timarcha tenebricosa
The beetle’s common name comes from its unusual defense strategy of exuding bright red fluid from its mouth when threatened. As well as providing a visual deterrent, the fluid is foul-tasting thus puting birds and other would-be predators off the beetle as a lunch option. Adult Bloody-nosed beetles are flightless and can be seen walking along the ground or on low vegetation. The larvae are also black but with a shiney metallic blue colour, they feed on plants called bedstraws (Galium).
Found on the South West coast path in bottom of hedge
- See more at: http://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-and-habit...
Spotted on Mar 17, 2014
Submitted on Mar 22, 2014
6 Comments
I added the weblink - it says page not found but if you click on it, it leads you to the website you provided. :)
Well done, Devonmaid - thanks very much! I'll do the web link for you, ok?
Maria dB, have done what I can, hope it's ok. Sorry couldn't do the web link.
Thanks for the additional information - very interesting! Could you please add that to the spotting description so people see it right away when looking at the spotting? You can also add in where you saw it under Habitat (e.g., your garden, along a roadside). The url could go in the field for web links. When you put in information like that, it makes the spottings more informative and interesting for us. Thanks!
Maria DB This is why - The beetle’s common name comes from its unusual defense strategy of exuding bright red fluid from its mouth when threatened.
As well as providing a visual deterrent, the fluid is foul-tasting thus puting birds and other would-be predators off the beetle as a lunch option.
- See more at: http://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-and-habit...
Unusual common name!