Furry Beetle

jdoherty · #1 (**permalink**) 12-11-2007, 07:12 PM

I took this photo at Moore Nature Reserve, near Warrington in July 2007. It looked like a furry soldier beetle. I hope someone from WAB can provide an ID.

Thanks, John.

Paul mabbott · #2 (**permalink**) 12-11-2007, 07:26 PM

Close. It's one of the Tenebrionidae, Lagria hirta. Not uncommon.

jdoherty · #3 (**permalink**) 12-11-2007, 07:36 PM

Many thanks for the ID Paul. I looked up Lagria hirta in Google and saw on a website that it also had the name of Darkling Beetle. Is this the correct common name for this beetle?

John

Acutipuerilis · #4 (**permalink**) 12-11-2007, 10:21 PM

Darkling beetles are a group of them (a family?), rather than this one in particular. It's a nice one, Lagria - always nice to find it. :-)

jdoherty · #5 (**permalink**) 13-11-2007, 06:11 AM

Thanks for the info.

John

Paul mabbott · #6 (**permalink**) 13-11-2007, 08:48 AM

This all comes from trying to find 'common' names for everything. Some of the larger tenebrionids were called darkling beetle because they were dark (black, in fact) and active at night. So someone has said therefore that all the members of the Tenebrionidae shal be called darkling beetles. Totally inappropriate for the small beetles which can be a pest in stored food.... and equally inappropriate for L. hirta which is not black and is active in the day time!