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Size: Grows to a length of around 28mms.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK.
Months Active seen: April to October.
Habitat: Woodlands, meadows, gardens and hedgerows.
Diet Insects, spiders, worms and woodlice.
Features: The devil's coach-horse is one of around 1000 species of rove beetles in Britain, so-called because they are constantly on the move. The devil's coach-horse is a fast moving beetle which is capable of flight, but prefers to spend most of its life on the ground.
The other popular name for this beetle is 'cocktail', because of its habit of raising its tail like a scorpion (as above) when it feels threatened. It cannot sting like a scorpion, but it does have another, rather bizarre defense mechanism. At the end of its abdomen are a pair of white glands which can emit a foul smell. It can also squirt a stinking brown fluid from its mouth and anus.It overwinters as a pupa in leaf litter or moss and emerges as an adult the following spring. If you disturb a Devil’s coach horse, it adopts an aggressive, scorpion-like position - it raises its rear end and opens its powerful jaws.
The devil's coach-horse is a carnivorous insect, feeding on other insects and small creatures. It has large pincer-like jaws which can crush and kill its prey.A nocturnal predator, this beetle lives in and around decaying matter. During the day it tends to rest among leaf litter or under stones. Females lay their eggs in the soil, and these hatch into carnivorous larvae.
Did You Know?
The 'devil's coach-horse' name came from Irish mythology where this particular beetle was considered symbol of corruption. It was believed to have the power to kill on sight, and that it would eat sinners. When the beetle raised its tail, it was thought to be casting a curse. The foul smelling fluid emitted added to the effect. The Devil’s coach horse is a long, black beetle with short elytra (wing cases). It is similar to an earwig.
