Coleoptera, Burying and Carrion beetles, Rove beetles, and Powder Post beetles
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Nicrophorus investigator

On the left and right is Nicrophorus investigator another burying beetle in the Silphidae family. Its habits and life cycle are similar to Nicrophorus humator above. Note the distinctive orange bands on the elytra and on the underside of the thorax a row of long yellow hairs. This specimen I found dead near my rubbish bin. Like the one above it was covered in little mites.

Oiceoptoma throracica

Oiceoptoma throracica, on the right is 11 - 16 mm long, and is the only carrion beetle in the U. K. with an orange/red pronotum. It can be found right across Eurasia. It is usually found on carrion, but is also fond of the stinkhorn fungus. I found this one dying by the roadside. I think it may have been hit by a passing car. You can see part of its wing sticking out of the elytra.

Staphylinidae family

There are over 2000 species in Europe, and almost 1000 species in Britain. They are commonly known as rove beetles. They range in size form less than 1 mm to 25 mm long. The elytra (wing cases) are always short, and this gives the adults a superficial resemblance to earwigs. The elytra cover intricately folded wings, and in most species flight is common. It is amusing to watch one just after it has landed, it will wriggle around while its wings are being folded up under the elytra, and only once they are correctly packed away will the beetle move off.

On the right is an adult Staplinus olens, commonly known as the Devil's coach horse or the cock-tail beetle. At 25 mm long it is the largest member of the Staphylindae family found in the U.K. When alarmed it opens its large jaws and curls up its abdomen rather like a scorpion. Its jaws are strong

enough to draw blood. It is a matte black colour.

Left and below left is the adult Ontholestes tessellatus. The adult length ranges from 13 - 20 mm. It is usually found in carrion and dung, but this one was found on the top of a soggy compost heap. It is truly beautiful, covered in golden hair which has brassy reflections as it moves. Its eyes are huge and its jaws are fearsome. It runs very fast and is not easy to catch.

On the right is the larva of Philonthus sp.

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Lyctidae family

Commonly know as the powder post beetles. There are 6 species found in Britain, but 3 of these are introduced aliens.

The larvae eat dry sap-wood, and produce a very fine dust almost like flour. The females have long ovipositors to deposit their eggs in cracks in wood.

Lyctus brunneus, the common powder post beetle, on the left, is native to Britain, and has probably been introduced to many other parts of the world. It ranges in size from 2.5 to 8.0 mm long, and ranges in colour from chestnut brown to dark brown with clearly clubbed antennae. In comparison to the Anobiidae notice that the head is not hidden by the pronotum. It is a serious pest of seasoned hardwood such as oak, ash and some tropical woods, and is mainly found in lumber yards, carpenters workshops and houses. Adults usually emerge from May to September. They are good fliers and fly towards light at night. During the daytime they hide in cracks and crevices. The female lays up to 220 long, cylindrical eggs with a thread-like tail which are pushed into the wood going with the direction of the grain. The eggs are translucent white, 1 mm long and 0.15 mm wide. The larvae feed for 1 or 2 years and reach a maximum length of 5mm, although this can be shorter if conditions are favourable, e.g. highly nutritious wood. Before pupation the larva bores to just beneath the surface where it pupates.

Discovering infestations. One of the commonest ways of discovering an infestation indoors is when adults are found around a window trying to fly away.