Bloody Nosed Beetle & Lesser Bloody Nosed Beetle

Timarcha tenebricosa

Bloody-Nosed Beetle

12-22mm

April to early August

Slow moving rounded beetle feeding on bedstraws in the Galium genus. Named for the habit of exuding drops of red liquid from the mouth when alarmed. Most often seen on the stems of bedstraw or walking at the edges of country and coastal footpaths. Usually in rough areas of low vegetation and on downland, appearing more frequent in southern coastal regions.

Male & Female found mating on bedstraw

Common, but can be difficult to spot as they are most active at night.

The elytra are fused and the entire body has a strong blue or purple iridescence.

Females usually larger than males - males with much larger tarsal pads on the feet – used to grip the female carapace during mating (as seen in the photos above).

Females lay eggs in small groups on the leaves or stem of bedstraw in spring, and the larvae remain on the plants feeding until September when they mature and pupate.

Larvae are also blue-black and very rounded with a segmented body.

Timarcha goettingensis

Lesser Bloody-Nosed Beetle

8-12mm

April to early August

Very much like a small version of T.tenebricosa with a slightly rougher, pitted surface texture.

Often abundant in large numbers with many mating pairs in localised areas of downland – more frequent in coastal areas. Adults and larvae feed on small members of the bedstraw family and other low growing plants. More likely to be seen on very short grassland than T.tenebricosa where they can appear like rabbit droppings at a glance.

Flightless with fused elytra.

Females larger and rounder than males. Males with larger feet. Both sexes are often more strongly blue or purple than T.tenebricosa. 

Comparison of T.tenebricosa and the much smaller T.goettingensis