The brilliance of beetles
Steve Garland, chair of Lancashire Wildlife Trust and beetle expert, explores the world of these incredible, armoured insects.
Steve Garland, chair of Lancashire Wildlife Trust and beetle expert, explores the world of these incredible, armoured insects.
Ever wondered what that little black dot whirling in circles on the top of the water of a pond is? Those are whirligig beetles! Often seen shooting across the water surface on the hunt for its…
One of our largest soldier beetles, often found on flowers where they hunt other insects.
All animals need water to survive. By providing a water source in your garden, you can invite in a whole menagerie!
The metallic-green Musk beetle lives up to its name: it releases a musky-smelling secretion when it defends itself. It is a longhorn beetle, so has lengthy antennae. Look for it near wetlands in…
The violet click beetle is a very rare beetle that lives in decaying wood, particularly common beech and ash. It gets its name from its habit of springing upwards with an audible click if it falls…
The rhinoceros beetle lives up to its name by sporting a distinctive 'horn' on the males' head. This glossy, blue-black beetle can be found in woods, parks and hedgerows, and…
So-named for its three bull-like horns, the Minotaur beetle is a large dung beetle found on grassland and heathland from the autumn. Adults drag dung back to their nests for their larvae to feed…
Violet ground beetles are active predators, coming out at night to hunt slugs and other invertebrates in gardens, woodlands and meadows.
These distinctive beetles are often found around dead birds and small mammals.
These bulky beetles can sometimes be found on flowers in woodland rides or along hedgerows.
This beautiful beetle only arrived in the UK in 1960s but is now a common sight on garden herbs.