[ID] Beetle

[Action_Man]

This Beetle was around 6mm, crawling up a wall looking for a victim i think ...

[bandit1]

Hiya Gordon,
Fancy seeing you ere eh that looks like a ' Rove Beetle ' Staphylinus caesareus or to us mere mortals a Devils Coach-Horse Beetle.

Bet I got that wrong & made a complete fool of myself, ah what's new eh

Best get on with what I was looking for

Cheers for now
Mark

Originally Posted by Action_Man

This Beetle was around 6mm, crawling up a wall looking for a victim i think ...

[Action_Man]

Hi Mark, i thought of that but doesent it have too bulbous eyes ? ...

[naturelover]

dont you mean devils ( horse coach beatle ) and you got i right but wrong way round.

[Wild-Woman]

I don't think this is a Devil's Coach-Horse. The head doesn't look broad enough to me. Definitely some sort of Rove though.

[Action_Man]

Everything about it looks different to me ...

[Paul mabbott]

Just had a busy (and fun ) weekend up north. This is one of the rove beetles (Staphylinidae) but at 6mms is certainly not the "Devils' Coach Horse", Ocypus olens. The large eyes suggest that it is a day active genus such as Stenus. The heavily sculpted forebody/elytra ditto - doubt that you'll be able to identify to species the British species of Stenus but it is a very interesting group - their habits (as well as their form) are quite different from the majority of staphylinids. Well worth looking up .........

[bandit1]

Hiya Paul,

Many thanks for your help on this, knew I'd get it wrong they look very similar to an untrained eye just did a quick Google on the Stenus & came up with this little piece of very basic ( I guess )info for others


Google Image Result for http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/stenus.jpg

& I just found this link if it works to some more shots of Staphylinidae

Stenus

Once again Paul many thanks for sharing your amazing knowledge

Cheers for now
Mark

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Just had a busy (and fun ) weekend up north. This is one of the rove beetles (Staphylinidae) but at 6mms is certainly not the "Devils' Coach Horse", Ocypus olens. The large eyes suggest that it is a day active genus such as Stenus. The heavily sculpted forebody/elytra ditto - doubt that you'll be able to identify to species the British species of Stenus but it is a very interesting group - their habits (as well as their form) are quite different from the majority of staphylinids. Well worth looking up .........

[Paul mabbott]

There are more than 2000 staphylinids in Europe, over a thousand in UK - the largest of all beetle families so it's almost impossible to identify them to species from a photo (perhaps four or five?) - indeed, it needs an expert to identify the specimen in most cases!

Most staphs (amongst other beetles) can exude foul-smelling or toxic compounds from their rear ends. Some of the Stenus species are particularly interesting in that they exude oily compounds which react with water so that they can propel themselves across ponds etc.

Originally Posted by bandit1

Hiya Paul,

Many thanks for your help on this, knew I'd get it wrong they look very similar to an untrained eye ..........................Cheers for now
Mark

[bandit1]

Hiya Paul,

Thanks again, it never ceases to amaze me as to the knowledge you folks have on here, top marks to all.

Funny you mentioning the Oily Compound, for when I was about 9 or 10 we had a a guy that lived in our Village who was working as a Marine Biologist in the old Plymouth UK. Aquarium & he showed me how to make a small flattish waxed paper boat with a notch cut in the Stern similar to this O--< the O being the oil reservoir, the Hyphens being a fine tube & the < being the notch, this worked on a very flat garden pond & at that age I was amazed, but had real no understanding as to what he was trying explain that water and oil do mix, which is also known as Immiscibility, therefor it helped some fish through the water ha he got that wrong as I later found out They don't teach kids that sorta stuff nowadays eh

Anyways thanks again
Cheers for now
Mark

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

There are more than 2000 staphylinids in Europe, over a thousand in UK - the largest of all beetle families so it's almost impossible to identify them to species from a photo (perhaps four or five?) - indeed, it needs an expert to identify the specimen in most cases!

Most staphs (amongst other beetles) can exude foul-smelling or toxic compounds from their rear ends. Some of the Stenus species are particularly interesting in that they exude oily compounds which react with water so that they can propel themselves across ponds etc.