Beetles

Adur Terrestrial Beetles

This is a miscellaneous selection rather than a representative sample. Beetles were only recorded as incidentals or because they were large and noticeable. Ladybirds have their own page.

More Beetles 2006

27 May 2006
This little red beetle was spotted on the Sompting Brooks, where the gardens meet the wild strouds. It is only about 6 mm long.
Report & Photograph by June Bratton

It is Endomychus coccineus and it is sometimes called the False Ladybird. It feeds on the fungus on the bark of rotten deciduous trees. The beetle has four spots (shown clearly in book illustrations and most photographs) and it is just the angle this photograph was taken at that makes it look it has just two.
Identification by Malcolm Storey (BioImages)
on the British Insects Yahoo Group

18 May 2006
The first very small Thick-legged Flower Beetle, Oedemera nobilis, of the year was seen on a Bulbous Buttercup on the Slonk Hill Cutting (south bank).

9 April 2006
The beetles Paederus littoralis were still present under the discarded Chestnut fencing on the Pixie Path.

18 January 2006
Under the discarded Chestnut fencing on the Pixie Path, most of the dozen wood lice and a few spiders scampered off too quickly for the camera. One colourful Rove Beetle (Staphylinida) was slower and is shown on the left. There were three or four of these flightless beetles known as Paederus littoralis. The book (Chinery) says that this beetle is to be found in damp places. The specific name rather indicates the shore. These beetles contain a fluid called paederin which can cause the skin to peel and is more serious if it comes into contact with your eyes. There are examples of serious dermatitis caused by this substance (Beetle Juice). The front of the abdomen is called the elytra.

The identification has not been confirmed, but it seems probable. The British species of the same genus are:

Paederus caligatus Erichson, 1840
Paederus fuscipes Curtis, 1826
Paederus littoralis Gravenhorst, 1802
Paederus riparius (Linnaeus, 1758) The specific name indicates a river.

This is a hardy species and one specimen has survived 22 days to 2 March 2006 in an airtight container (35mm film capsule) without food or water.

1 November 2005
A a gravid female Galeruca tanaceti beetle crawled over the soft muddy margins of Lancing Ring dewpond.

Report and Photograph by Ray Hamblett (Lancing Nature) on the British Beetles Yahoo Group

Beetle Gallery (by Ray Hamblett)
Dewpond Gallery (by Ray Hamblett)

14 September 2005

This small beetle crawled over the herbs, grass and rabbit droppings just north of the Reservoir, Mill Hill. The habitat contained Yarrow leaves, the reported food plant of this beetle. On other parts of the hill Yarrow was in flower.

It was not measured so its total length of 17 mm is a rough estimate only.

The beetle in the photo is certainly Galeruca tanaceti. It feeds on Tansy and possibly Bedstraws too, as far as I can tell. Galeruca tanaceti is widespread but local.

ID and comments by Max Barclay
ID also by David MX Green
on the British Beetles Yahoo Group

In early July I recorded Galeruca tanaceti in
Bushy Park in large numbers, and in 2000
it was prevalent. It seems to be associated
with Knapweed Centaurea sp.

Comment by Peter Sutton
on the British Beetles Yahoo Group

I would certainly have no hesitation in determining this beetle as
Galeruca tanaceti. They are probably associated with a number of
different plant species. For example, I have frequently found adults
eating Devil's-bit Scabious and sometimes even Creeping Thistle,
although Yarrow is perhaps its favourite.

It is widespread on the more open parts of the South Downs in East
Sussex and also sometimes occurs in heathy grassland, occasionally undergoing population explosions. A good time to search is in September or October.

Peter Hodge on the British Beetles Yahoo Group.

7 August 2005

Theis larva was discovered in the Hawthorn wood/scrub in the north-west of Mill Hill. The multiple-legged insect, a larva (not a centipede), was crawling towards the right of the photograph. It seems to have eleven segments. It was crawling over the path between the northern end of the lower slopes and the stile. It may be a beetle larva. It estimated length is 25 mm. This may be the larva of Drilus flavescens, which is frequent on the downs in southern coastal areas.

I think this must be a Drilus larva. It looks just like the diagram in Westwood's book. (Richard Jones)

13 July 2005

A female Stag Beetle, Lucanus cervus, was spotted crawling slowly across the pavement outside Lidls store in Worthing next to a busy road. As it was in imminent danger of being squashed, it was transferred to a garden in Lancing.

7 July 2005
This very small (under 10 mm estimated size) insect was sheltering on a dried put piece of Horsehair.

3 July 2005
This small beetle crawled out of the Sunday paper: Lagria hirta ?

22 May 2005
This beetle was under a large flint rock on the northern bank of Slonk Hill Cutting.

18 May 2005
Stag Beetle larva
Lucanus cervus
in a Hillrise Avenue, Sompting
garden
Photograph by Ashe Woods
Report by Brenda Collins (Lancing)
Plight of the Stag Beetle (Link)
Stag Beetle Helpline

Mill Hill: Vetch Trail

15 May 2005
A shiny green Cryptocephalus beetle was noted on a Bulbous Buttercup.

27 April 2005
Click Beetle
Probably
Athous haemorrhoidalis

24 April 2005
The small black beetles are species of pollen beetles, Meligethes. Meligethes aeneus is the commonest species breeding on Oil Seed Rape and other yellow Brassicas, though it is also found feeding widely on other flowers. Meligethes viridescens is considerably less common on Rape etc but widespread. Horseshoe Vetch is the host of Meligethes erichsoni There are 36 species of Meligethes in Britain. Though they can be identified with the excellent Royal Entomological Society Handbook on Pollen Beetles, they are superficially very similar and generally require close examination and dissection for correct identification. Host plants are useful guides, but many species can also be found feeding as adults on plants which are not their true hosts.
Report by Richard Wright on the British Beetles Yahoo Group

Royal Horticultural Society web page on Pollen Beetles (Meligethes species)
Checklist of UK Recorded Nitidulidae

Meligethes aeneus is the commonest pollen beetle species breeding on Oil Seed Rape and other yellow Brassicas, though it is also found feeding widely on other flowers. Meligethes viridescens is considerably less common on Rape etc but widespread.

Report by Richard Wright on the
British Beetles Yahoo Group

21 September 2004
Above the ridge on the upper slopes of Mill Hill, a Devil's Coach-horse Beetle, Staphylinus olens, crawled into shelter, its large and rather ominous-looking body quickly disappeared from view.
This beetle has jaws that can pierce human skin and can also squirt out noxious and irritating chemicals from its rear end.
14 October 2004
A black Devil's Coach Beetle was seen crawling near the top of the slopes of Mill Hill.
Rove Beetle, Ocypus
British Staphylinidae Key

16 August 2004
A Dor Beetle lay dying on the chalk path, south of the reservoir on the southern part of Mill Hill.
Dor and female Stag Beetle heads compared

12 July 2004
The prevalent small orange beetles seen on Mill Hill are Rhagonycha fulva (a Soldier Beetle, Cantharidae). This abundant species is probably seen on many bits of wasteland. They seem associated with Hardheads (Lesser Knapweeds), but in the photograph on the right, you can judge their small size on Bird's Foot Trefoil.

22 June 2004
Kidney Vetch (with the small green beetle)
Slonk Hill Cutting South

11 June 2004
Slonk Hill South Bank
The small metallic green beetle found frequently on the Kidney Vetch, Ox-eye Daisies, Spotted Orchids and other plants is the Thick-legged Flower Beetle, Oedemera nobilis. NB: the book common name is also Swollen-thighed Beetle which can be seen in the photograph. There is a similar smaller green beetle called Oedemera lurida. There was another small green beetle present that lacked the swollen thighs, or thick legs. This is the female of Oedemera nobilis. The brown insect was a Squash Bug, Coreus marginatus (pic).

31 May 2004

Back garden in The Drive.
The small red beetle (estimated 5 mm long) is the Lily Beetle, Lilioceris lilii.
This beetle is an introduced species and a pest of lilies.

17 May 2004
Mill Hill: Lower Slopes
The Milkwort has a bug (click beetle) on it.
Matthew Smith on the British Insects Yahoo Group suggests the species
Athous haemorrhoidalis