black beetle-like insect with very large abdomen
November 10, 2009
We found 5 of these insects on the under side of our recycling bin. The largest was 3 inches long. We live in Portland Oregon, and it is November. The insects were sluggish, and appeared semi dormant. I wondered if they were a larval stage of another insect.
Heather in Portland
Portland, OR
Hi Heather,
Though it looks rather like a larva, this is an adult Oil Beetle in the genus Meloe, one of the Blister Beetles.