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.
Learn how to identify beetles, what they are and how they live
Named for its three bull-like horns, the minotaur beetle is a large dung beetle found on grassland and heathland. Adults drag dung back to their nests for their larvae to feed on.
Learn about water beetles and how to sample and identify them
One of our largest soldier beetles, often found on flowers where they hunt other 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…
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…
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…
These distinctive beetles are often found around dead birds and small mammals.
Violet ground beetles are active predators, coming out at night to hunt slugs and other invertebrates in gardens, woodlands and meadows.
This beautiful beetle only arrived in the UK in 1960s but is now a common sight on garden herbs.
These bulky beetles can sometimes be found on flowers in woodland rides or along hedgerows.