Help requested identifying bug

suziscotland · #1 (**permalink**) 09-09-2011, 06:58 PM

we found a small gold bug with a black stripe in our kitchen, (picture attached i hope if it's worked) and think it looks pretty cool. We would appreciate some help in identifying as google's answers don't seem to be right. We are in the city centre in Edinburgh, Scotland

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 09-09-2011, 07:15 PM

Beetle - Ptinus sp.

Acutipuerilis · #3 (**permalink**) 10-09-2011, 05:08 AM

Pretty sure it's Niptus hololeucus - the golden spider beetle. We used to get these as pests in our museum, although apparently they're not all that common any more. Consider yourself honoured... and check your woollens.

suziscotland · #4 (**permalink**) 10-09-2011, 12:22 PM

Thankyou Acutipuerilis. That seems spot on. Weird though as it was found in the kitchen, with no cereals or materials anywhere near! He is living in a shot glass and appears to like sugar water drops. Should i let him loose outside or take him up to the insect house?

Acutipuerilis · #5 (**permalink**) 10-09-2011, 02:00 PM

These feed mostly on animal proteins, so things like birds nests are their natural habitat. If you've got any dense hedgerows or something of that ilk then it'll do fine.

Joe

suziscotland · #6 (**permalink**) 10-09-2011, 10:30 PM

Thank you very much Joe. I have re-homed him in a large bush on the Meadows.

Klaas Reißmann · #7 (**permalink**) 13-09-2011, 04:54 PM

Is it an old house you're living in? Niptus hololeucus is very close to Gibbium psylloides, living of old straw in dead floors of old houses and similar.

It is hard to get rid of those beetles, because they do have a long life (more than 1 year) and because of living in every cleavage in the house they can find, they are hard to get.

Regards
Klaas