Bloody-nosed Beetle

Timarcha tenebricosa

The Bloody-nosed Beetle is a shiny black bug that can squirt a red liquid when it feels scared! This helps it escape from predators. It loves to munch on plants and can be found in gardens and fields.

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The Bloody-nosed Beetle is a large, stout, flightless beetle, entirely matte black with a granular texture on its wing cases. Its robust, domed body makes it visually distinct from most flying beetles.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungColeopteraFamilieChrysomelidaeGattungTimarcha

Bloody-nosed Beetle

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Its dark black body helps it absorb sunlight to warm up on cool days!

The special red liquid it squirts is called hemolymph, not real blood, and tastes awful!

This beetle's wing covers are fused, so it can never fly, even though it's an insect!

When scared, it can play dead perfectly still for a long time to fool predators!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

The Bloody-nosed Beetle can squirt a bitter, red liquid from its mouth because of special glands that helps them deter predators.

It has a thick, hard, black exoskeleton that helps protect its body from attacks by birds and other predators.

This beetle is flightless and uses strong, sturdy legs to walk slowly, helping it explore low plants and ground cover.

Maße und Details

Größe: 14-20 mm
Lebenserwartung: 365-500 Tage
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

This herbivorous beetle loves munching on plants, especially the leaves and flowers of bedstraw.

Hauptnahrung

Bedstraw leaves
Bedstraw flowers
Other plant leaves

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eats

Lady's Bedstraw

Galium verum

Main food source for larvae and adults.

eats

Hedge Bedstraw

Galium album

Another preferred food plant.

eaten by

Blackbird

Turdus merula

May attempt to eat, but often deterred by defense.

Merkmale

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Getarnt

Getarnt beschreibt Organismen, die über eine Färbung oder Musterung verfügen, durch die sie mit ihrer Umgebung verschmelzen.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.