Subject: Unknown bug
Location: Sout-West Norway
August 6, 2014 3:46 am
Hi,
This bug suddenly walked over my living room floor yestreday. This is in South-west of Norway.
Does anyone know which kind of bug this could be?
Best Regards!
Signature: Joeran
Hi Joeran,
This is some species of predatory Rove Beetle in the family Staphylinidae and it will not harm you or your home. You should release it from its plastic bag immediately. It looks like a very good match to this image of Creophilus maxillosus on Warren Photographic Image Library of Nature & Pets. According to BugGuide, it is called a Hairy Rove Beetle and it is: “native and widespread in NA, C. m. maxillosus is native to the Palaearctic and is known from scattered records from ON, QC, and MA (first detected: ~1620, NF)(2) and many other parts of the New World” which indicates there are different subspecies in the Old and New Worlds. We learned that there is a European subspecies, Creophilus maxillosus maxillosus, and according to Nature Spot, it is: “Widespread and generally common throughout Britain.” According to BugGuide, the Hairy Rove Beetle feeds on “maggots and adult flies, also other arthropods,” so it is a beneficial species. Eakringbirds has a UK distribution map. Macro Photos has an image taken in Norway. Gwannon.com has a worldwide distribution map that includes Norway.