Subject: Mystery bug
Location: New Paltz, NY
May 15, 2013 9:16 am
I don’t know what this thing is! I found it near my front door sitting in the waterer for my chickens…I don’t think it hatched there….the waterer had been empty until a recent rain. It’s difficult to tell from the photo but it has large mandibles…no wings, and is kind of fuzzy.
Signature: Chrissy

Gold and Brown Rove Beetle

Hi Melissa,
This is a Gold and Brown Rove Beetle, Ontholestes cingulatus.  According to BugGuide:  “Large for a rove beetle. Dark brown and hairy. Clumps of hair forms dark spots on much of body. Yellow hair forms “belt” under thorax, covers parts of last abdominal segments. Head wider than pronotum. Eyes large, prominently placed on sides of head. Found on carrion and fungi. Often turns yellow tip of abdomen upward when walking.”

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Subject: Termite? Mutant earwig? Snakefly larva?
Location: Outside Boston, MA
December 21, 2012 10:56 am
Hello,
I just found this guy on the ground outside our back door in the western suburbs of Boston. It’s about 1.5cm long, with a fairly flat profile that doesn’t seem as plump or lobular in the abdomen as I imagine a termite would be. But I have some concern that it may, in fact, be a termite alate. Can you weigh in on this?
Thanks for your help!
Signature: Rob

Large Rove Beetle

Dear Rob,
Though it doesn’t resemble the typical beetle, this Large Rove Beetle is a beetle nonetheless.  It appears it may be Ocypus nitens which, according to BugGuide, is:  “Native to Europe. Seems to be a rather recent introduction in ne. US.”  It has been reported in Massachusetts.  BugGuide does not discuss their eating habits, but Rove Beetles are predators.  A relative in the same genus, the Devil’s Coach Horse, is also native to Europe and has been introduced to the west coast of North America where it is reported to feed on the introduced Brown Snail, according to BugGuide which quotes Dr. Margaret Thayer.

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Subject: What’s this insect?
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
November 15, 2012 2:22 am
Found this insect in my house. Is it normal this time of year? Is it normal in my region, Cleveland? Could you tell me what it is? When confronted, it raised what I assume is its back end as if it would sting me or shoot something out. Is it anything to be concerned about?
Thanks
Signature: Rob

Rove Beetle

Hi Rob,
This is a Rove Beetle in the family Staphylinidae, and the threat posture is common with many members of the family including the Devil’s Coach Horse.  Most Rove Beetles, including we suspect your individual, are perfectly harmless, though one genus, Paederus, can cause contact dermatitis.  Paederus Rove Beetles sport black and red warning coloration and they are known as Creechie Bugs in Africa.

Rove Beetle in threat posture

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Subject: Maybe a rove beetle blue metallic
Location: Curitiba (large city) at south of Brazil
November 11, 2012 6:03 pm
Hi from Brazil!
I live in Curitiba (south of Brazil) and today I found a strange insect that flyed at my garden.
I think it is a ”rove beetle” (Plochionocerus, Staphylinidae). But I’m not sure…
Signature: daniel calegari

Rove Beetle

Hi Daniel,
We agree that this is a Rove Beetle.  Did you actually witness it flying?  Not all Rove Beetles are capable of flight, and unlike most other beetles, they do not have hard elytra or protective wing covers that extend the length of the body and which cover and protect the soft flight wings.  This is really a beautiful Rove Beetle and we hope we are able to identify it to the species level.  We will postpone that search for a later time as our own garden is beckoning us to plant onions and sugar snap peas in anticipation of the winter rains in Southern California.

Rove Beetle

We might attempt a quick search now though.  We found a matching photo on TrekNature, but no species identification.  Perhaps Cesar Crash will write in with an ID.

Rove Beetle

Hi! Thanks for so fast answer!
Yes, I saw it coming, flying at the garden, then I hurry to take some photos, but it was going to hide bellow some old wood and vases. I used a small stick to make it run at dry and clear space, but I thank it could be dangerous/poisonous, then I took photos at some distance, and soon it was flying again and disappered.
Very beautiful beetle! I had a luck day!
thanks, yours,
Daniel, from Brazil.

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Subject: what is this?
Location: scotland
October 3, 2012 3:44 pm
Hi the attached bug has been in my house over the last couple weeks. Ive never seen something like this before. I have a toddler and am very worried this may be dangerous. It sticks it tail up like a scorpio when we’ve tried to get rid of it. How do i stop it coming in? Help!
Signature: NJ

Devil’s Coachhorse

Dear NJ,
Despite its fierce demeanor and frightening name, the Devil’s Coachhorse, a species of Rove Beetle, is perfectly harmless and poses no danger to your toddler.  Devil’s Coachhorses are predators that feed upon snails.  They do not have any venom, but if you look closely at the tip of the abdomen when in the defensive posture, you can see a pair of white glands that release a foul smell as a deterrent to any perceived threat.

Scent Glands of a Devil’s Coachhorse

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Subject: gaahhh. a strange bug
Location: Portland Oregon
September 25, 2012 11:10 pm
hi there bugman. we found this bug on our concrete patio behind our house.
It’s about 1 1/2” long and quite peculiar to us.
We found him (er.. her?!) just after dark in Portland Oregon on Sept 24th.
Joey, as my daughter calls him, hasn’t stung anyone, but seems to have a nice set on his backside.
He’s now residing comfortably, perhaps, under a glass jar.
We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks
~tom and Lucy
Signature: Bugman Extroadinaire!

Devil’s Coach Horse

Dear tom and Lucy,
Joey is a Devil’s Coach Horse, a species of Rove Beetle that is native to Europe, but established in North America prior to 1930.  It is a harmless beetle that uses a defensive threat posture of curling its abdomen over its head.

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Subject: Yellow-bellied duff runner? Northern MN
Location: Superior National Forest, Minnesota
August 13, 2012 5:38 pm
Hello,
I work on the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota and during the past few summers have continued to come across this peculiar insect. It has six legs, appears to have chewing mouth parts, is usually about 1” long, and has hidden wings. It flies around the understory in mixed hardwood forests, landing on leaves/stems and drops into the duff and runs off quite quickly whenever I get too close. The underside of it’s abdomen is bright yellow, and I’ve seen several specimens twitch and raise the tip of the abdomen (ovipositors?) almost menacingly. It’s such a bizarre insect I have no clue where to start with ID. So far, I’ve been calling them ”yellow-bellied duff runners”, but would love to know what they actually are! Thanks in advance for your help!
Signature: Nick

Gold and Brown Rove Beetle

Hi Nick,
As much as we love the name you have coined, Yellow Bellied Duff Runner, the real name for this unusual beetle is the Gold and Brown Rove Beetle, Ontholestes cingulatus.  According to BugGuide:  “Adults eat maggots, mites, beetle larvae. Larvae feed on carrion, fungi” and “Eggs are laid near carrion or fungi. Larvae feed on carrion or fungi, presumably. Pupate in chambers in soil nearby. Given the collection dates of spring and fall, it seems likely that they overwinter as adults.”  The individuals you observed sound like they were searching for food.  This large Rove Beetle, like most of its relatives, is perfectly harmless despite the menacing posture it strikes when threatened.  There is a group of Rove Beetles, though, known as the Paederus Rove Beetles in most parts of the world or Creechie Bugs in Africa that can cause a nasty case of contact dermatitis.  The Paederus Rove Beetles sport aposomatic or warning coloration in bold patterns of orange and black.

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Is this a Devil’s Coach Horse?
Location: Wright County, MN
February 21, 2012 11:16 pm
My wife freaked out last night when this bug started jumping around by her drawing table. It had a stance like a scorpion after I finally caught it. It seemed to have wings but it only flew (more like a jump) at a short distance like a pheasant. At first I thought it was an ant because of the head and jaws. Than I noticed on its tail it had two antenna type thingys. Sorry for the poor photos but it would not listen very well and stay still. Oh yeah, its also black, brown at tip of tail, and antenna’s on its head as well. Thanks.
Signature: Alan Gunderson

Rove Beetle

Hi Allen,
While this is not a Devil’s Coach Horse, a much larger species, you are correct that your individual is in the same family.  Rove Beetles are a very large family and we will not be able to provide you with a more specific identification.

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