Beetle Id help

[hannsg]

I saw a beetle outside my door today Id never seen before. Unfortunately I dont have a picture as the dog ate the thing before I could catch it!

The bug was about 50mm long, its back was very smooth, shiny and dark brown. Underneath it had stripes running across its back end which were dark and light brown. It didnt have a separate head and was quite pointed towards its back end. It gave the effect of being very flat, oh and it didnt have any antenna I could see.

Ive had a good search on the net and cant find anything like it.

Anyone know what I saw?

cheers

-anthony

[Jason Green]

Hi Anthony, and welcome to WAB

It could be one of several beetles. Could you upload a colour drawing? It may have been a Ground Beetle, from the Carabidae family. Are you familiar with Latin names or biological classifications?

Take care,

Jason

[hannsg]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Hi Anthony, and welcome to WAB

It could be one of several beetles. Could you upload a colour drawing? It may have been a Ground Beetle, from the Carabidae family. Are you familiar with Latin names or biological classifications?

Take care,

Jason

One of my drawings really wouldnt help things. From the pictures on google it doesnt look anything like one of the Carabidae family. On the beetle I saw it didnt have a join running down its back. Its whole back was one piece, shiny, smooth the same colour.

Sorry dont have a clue about Latin names or biological classifications.

cheers

[hannsg]

Jason I just looked through the website in your sig and saw the Pollen beetles, how big do these get? would they make a couple of inches?

[Acutipuerilis]

Pollen beetles are a couple of millimetres. If it didn't have the join running down the back, then it wasn't a beetle - that's how they're made. It's where the wing cases open, and although there are some with very small wing cases, in that case the abdomen would be segmented. To be honest, though, my guess is that it was there but unclear.

Have you compared things like the Great Diving Beetle? There are also some large diving bugs as well. Contrary to expectations, they also fly, so you do see them away from ponds.

[hannsg]

Originally Posted by Acutipuerilis

Pollen beetles are a couple of millimetres. If it didn't have the join running down the back, then it wasn't a beetle - that's how they're made. It's where the wing cases open, and although there are some with very small wing cases, in that case the abdomen would be segmented. To be honest, though, my guess is that it was there but unclear.

Have you compared things like the Great Diving Beetle? There are also some large diving bugs as well. Contrary to expectations, they also fly, so you do see them away from ponds.

I think you might be right on with the great diving beetle. I didnt know we had such big diving beetles, the ones Ive seen have been much smaller. Just as a note, why is it called a diving beetle if it isnt a beetle?

thanks

[Acutipuerilis]

It is a beetle - but in this group in particular, the join is very hard to see. It's still there, though!