Subject: beetle?
Location: The Netherlands
August 26, 2015 8:56 am
Hi,
I am in The Netherlands (europe) and came across this bug. I have never seen it before and was a lot bigger then what I normally see crawling around.
It looks like a bug with a tough shell. Though when he found me a threat, he lifted his backside up as a scorpion and faced me. I have never seen a beetle do that, so it might just be something else entirely.
I am amazed and in awe since I never seen it, while I am always looking around for bugs haha. I find them very interesting. I hope you can help me out!
Thanks,
Signature: Niels
Dear Niels,
We are very excited to be able to post an image of a Devil’s Coach Horse, a species of Rove Beetle, from its native habitat. Most of our images are from North America because this species was introduced and it has naturalized. We encourage Devil’s Coach Horses in our own garden as they are one of the few creatures that will feed on introduced Snails and Slugs, also from Europe. Though the Devil’s Coach Horse rears up its abdomen in a threat position, and it will release a foul odor from scent glands, it is a harmless species that poses no threat to humans.