Discover the bioluminescent beetles putting on night-time light shows in Britain. They are common in England and Wales. The shape of the body is almost spherical. They are widespread from The Wash and North Wales down to southern England. The most famous beetles in the UK are probably ladybirds. It is rare and found only in certain areas of southern Britain. We must act on scientific evidence, we must act together, and we must act now. Now we're wondering if you can help us. Â, Every year, more people are reading our articles to learn about the challenges facing the natural world.

See them on a sunny day between May and July feeding on the nectar and pollen of tiny flowers such as wild thyme and wild carrot. Many beetles in the UK are harmless and serve a beneficial purpose for the environment, though there are some that have no natural enemies to control their population and this is when beetles become an issue.

Some tiger beetles are known to reach speeds of nine kilometres per hour. Soldier Beetle
Our most familiar beetle and a nursery rhyme favourite with its bright red oval carapace with black spots. This beetle may look like a ladybird with its red and black markings, but it is not. Lofts, attics and bird’s nests are where they’re typically found.

The only necessary action you should take is simply removing them in a safe manner from your property. The thick-legged flower beetle is bright metallic green and up to 10mm long © Jacques Vanni/ Shutterstock.com. This beautiful beetle is declining in the UK and is only found in North Yorkshire and Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire. This large beetle has a distinctive black domed body that shines blue or violet in the light. The most recent checklist of beetles of the British Isles includes 4072 species in 103 families, listed in taxonomic order below.

The wasp beetle is black and yellow like its namesake, and up to 16mm long © gailhampshire (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr.

Although, if you do find yourself struggling to live with beetles, please do not hesitate to contact AMES Group here. Despite the mounting pressures, hope is not lost. A mildew feeder, it grazes on mould and fungal hyphae. They do not like cold atmospheres, so you won’t find them residing in mossy areas – unlike other beetles. A pdf version is Thick-legged flower beetles can be seen from April to September in gardens, flower meadows and waste ground.

Read on to discover 17 of the most colourful and striking British beetles - including a particularly vibrant ladybird. Found throughout Britain, the common sexton beetle is a carrion or burying beetle - it buries, and lives off, small carcasses. The larva feeds on dead wood below ground for five years before emerging as an adult. This handsome black beetle is flightless and can be seen walking along the ground or in low vegetation in April. Do let us know if you spot any on the site. Click on the links to obtain more information about each family, including identification guides, websites and (where appropriate) recording schemes. The tansy beetle is bright metallic green with a coppery sheen. All Rights Reserved. The sulphur beetle is bright yellow and up to 10mm long © Martin Fowler/ Shutterstock.com. Thanks! These beetles are often confused with the Common Furniture Beetles (also known as Woodworms). Since the root isn't harmed by the beetles, they remain useful, themselves.

You can unsubscribe at any time. Like many beetles, they are excellent pollinators - doing the job as they move from flower to flower feeding on the pollen of large open flowers like poppies, roses, cornflowers and ox-eye daisies. They drag animal droppings to their nests to feed their larvae, playing a vital role in recycling nutrients and waste. The golden-bloomed grey longhorn has fantastic striped antennae. The larva feeds on the acorn, eventually tunnelling out as an adult. For example, the dung beetle's lifecycle is dependent on the availability of dung. © Lisa Hendry. Maybe move them into some vegetation, safe from cats, traffic and careless feet. Then the female watches over the eggs and feeds the larvae with the partially digested carcass.
These beetles vary in colour, though they’re usually seen to be black. 'The males have the big antlers, hence the name stag beetle, which they use to fight over the females. Remember these pictures are not life-size! Beetles are characterised by their sheathed wings, or ‘armoured’ layer, that surrounds the delicate wings beneath. Common throughout Britain and Ireland, green tiger beetles prefer areas of sparse vegetation, living in heathland, grassland, brownfield sites and dunes.Â, The stag beetle is black with impressive antlers, which are actually its jaws. Max explains why there is such a variety around London: 'Because of the southerly position and the heat island effect - where urban areas are a few degrees warmer on average than the surrounding countryside - London boasts a surprising diversity of insects. The larvae have them too, clamping them shut on any passing prey that strays too close to their burrow. You should be able to identify any insect you have found and learn a lot more about bugs too! © Ruth Swan/ Shutterstock.com. You may also find them on individual oak trees in hedgerows, parks and gardens. 'It became very rare 100 years ago and has only recently become common again. Beetles have diverse diets. These enlarged femora allow for the springing action of these insects when disturbed. Our best wishes for a productive day. It is less dome-shaped than ladybirds and has much longer antennae.

Bites … Some species have been known to run up to 2.5 m/s! Only the male has the thickened ‘thighs’ that give the beetle its name; it uses them to impress females. So, spray any areas where they thrive and ensure the carpets are cleaned thoroughly. We live on the ‘Planet of the Beetles’! Some are essential and some improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is used. They pose no threat to humans and it is very rare that you’ll find more than a couple in your property at any given time. With long legs and sharp jaws, this fearsome predator takes short flying leaps to attack prey or escape. Read on to discover 17 of the most colourful and striking British beetles - including a particularly vibrant ladybird. The rainbow leaf beetle has metallic bands of green, blue, gold and red. To reverse the damage we've done and protect the future, we need the knowledge that comes from scientific discovery. Minotaur beetles are widespread, but scarce, across the heaths and moors of England and Wales. But if we don't look after nature, nature can't look after us. ', ... or that it helped you learn something new. It's not just introduced or common species found here. To encourage Braconid wasps and Tachinid flies, some types of flowers can be planted between crops: umbels such as caraway, herb fennel, coriander and Ammi majus, and simple open flowers such as California poppies and pot marigolds, as well as yarrows.[4]. © The Trustees of The Natural History Museum, London, known to reach speeds of nine kilometres per hour, Museum's Identification and Advisory Service. Many flea beetles are attractively colored; dark, shiny and often metallic colors predominate. Interesting Insects showcases weird, wonderful and surprisingly beautiful insects from the Museum's collection. Size: 25mm Colour: Black, violet, brown Found: Homes, warm areas. Habitat loss is the most likely cause because once a tansy plant is removed, the beetle has to walk to find another - it rarely flies, even though it has working wings. 'There are more than 2,000 species of beetles known from the London area,' says Max Barclay, Senior Curator in Charge of the Museum's beetle collection. Please note whilst every effort is made to provide accurate identifications and information errors could occur. Get email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. For image use enquiries please email wildlifeinsight@gmail.com or click here to email Steve Ogden at Wildlife Insight. The scientific name for beetles is Coleoptera and despite being quite rare in the UK (in contrast to ants, wasps, etc), they make up the world’s largest order of animals at 25%. They are similar to other leaf beetles, but characteristically have the hindleg femora greatly enlarged.