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
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.”
Update: June 11, 2013
Thanks to a comment from Alfred, we now know that this is Platydracus maculosus, the largest native Rove Beetle in North America. See BugGuide for additional information.
This is actually Platydracus maculosus, the largest rove beetle in the US, not the slightly smaller Ontholestes cingulatus. Note the head is narrower than the pronotum, unlike Ontholestes where it is wider.
Thanks Alfred. We will correct the posting.