This handsome beetle is the Common cockchafer, Melolontha melolontha (Scarabaeidae). They are also known as Maybugs, Spang beetles, Billywitches and Doodlebugs. Although they fly at night, they are attracted to light and can be heard bashing into
The Wasp beetle, Cletus arietis is one of my favourite Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae). The larvae develop in the wood of various deciduous trees and the adults can be found on flowers and often on beech trees. They’re completely harmless.
Tiger beetles are some of the fastest running insects in the world - and they can also fly. They have huge eyes and jaws and are voracious predators. They are mostly found in sandy habitats. This one is Calomera littorals . I had to cool this guy d
Tiger beetles are classified in the subfamily Cicindelinae of the Carabidae (ground beetles). This is Calomera littorals from Portugal.
The Devil's coach-horse beetle, Ocypus olens , a large Rove beetle from the family Staphylinidae. If you find one, be careful, they can bite and squirt you with foul-smelling liquid from their anal glands.
Each spring, Harlequin ladybirds, Harmonia axyridis (Coccinellidae) wake up from the crevices in my house where they have been dormant. This is an alien species, native to the Oriental region, which first appeared in the UK in 2004 but has now spr
This weevil crawled out my "washed and ready to eat salad leaves". Unfortunately, he did not survive my salad dressing, but became one of the earliest images I made when I first got interested in extreme-macro photography and photo-stacking.
A red-headed Cardinal beetle, Pyrochroa serraticornis (Pyrochroidae). Found in woodland, along hedgerows and in parks and gardens, they eat other insects that fly around the flowers where they perch. I love the impressive toothed antennae.
Close up of a red-headed Cardinal beetle, Pyrochroa serraticornis (Pyrochroidae) showing the fine detail of its elytra.
There are 41 British species of Soldier beetles (Cantharidae). The adults of this species, Cantharis rustica, are especially common on the flowers of umbellifers between mid May and early August. They prey on other insects and occasionally feed on
Weevils (Curculionidae) are mostly small beetles that can be recognised by their snout-like rostrum. This green weevil was found on the leaves of dock. It probably belongs to the genus Phyllobius , but there are many different species that are diff
A handsome Darkling beetle, Erodius tibialis (Tenebrionidae) that was found near the coast at Sao Martino do Porto in Portugal. I love the yellow hairs around the head that look like it’s wearing a yellow scarf.
A hairy scarab beetle, Tropinota squalida (Scarabaeidae) from Doñana National Park, Spain. It can be found feeding on flowers from May through July.
The Varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci , a 3 mm-long beetle in the family Dermestidae. This is a common pest of houses and natural history museums. The larvae, known as woolly bears, eat furniture, wool and cotton clothing, carpets and insect
If you have some long grass in your garden, you may see this hansome Green malachite beetle, Malachius bipustulatus (Melyridae). You can tell this specimen is a male from the presence of the yellow structures at the base of the antennae that produ
Detail of the elytra and pronotum of a Violet ground beetle, Carabus violaceus. A nocturnal species of beetle from the Carabidae family.
The Alder leaf beetle, Agelastica alni , (Chysomelidae) became extinct in the UK in 2004. It may not be native to the UK, but just gets regularly reintroduced from other parts of Europe. It's now back and increasing in distribution and numbers, pro
Cerambyx cerdo is another threatened Longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) that inhabits old, but living sun-exposed oak trees with thick bark. The beetle is one the largest beetle species in Europe with a body length of between 41 and 55 mm. The length
If you recognise this beetle, you are probably a gardener. It's a Lilly beetle, Lilioceris lilii , from the Leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae. This one was donated by my old friend, Jim Burns, who has a serious infestation and probably no lilies.
The wood-boring Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) are one of my favourite beetle families. This is Morimus funereus , that occurs over much of northern Europe where the larvae feed on walnut trees. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
Golden-bloomed grey Longhorn beetle ( Agapanthia villosoviridescens ) - Wiltshire, UK. 
The Thick-legged flower beetle Oedemera nobilis (Oedemeridae). You can find this spectacular metallic-green beetle on flowers in April and May where they are common in gardens and grassland. Only the male has the characteristic swollen Michelin-ma
Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) are the largest family of beetles in the world. More than 1000 species occur in the UK. Their short wing covers (elytra) make them relatively easy to recognise - they remind me of the tiny waistcoats worn by waiters - bu
There are about 364 species of ground beetle (Carabidae) in the UK! They are all carnivores. I think this one is probably the Common Blackclock ( Pterostichus madidus ).
Bloody-nosed beetles get their name from the habit of producing blood-red distasteful liquid that deters predators. There are two species, this is the smaller one, Timarcha goettingensis .
Underside of the tarsus of a Bloody-nosed beetle ( Timarcha tenebricosa )
The legs of a horned dung beetle ( Copris lunaris )
Here's a carrion beetle from the family Silphidae. This is Silpha obscure , a common species across Europe but it's relatively rare in the UK. The adults rapidly locate the bodies of dead animals and burrow under the carcass where the females lay t
The triangular scutellum, part of the thorax and wing cases of the carrion beetle, Silpha obscure , that are covered in tiny pits.
The Lesser stag beetle ( Dorcas parallelipipedus ) is often mistaken for its larger and rarer cousin ( Lucanus cercus ). This Lesser stag beetle is approximately 25mm long, ‘Proper’ Stag beetles are much larger, males can get to 80mm, so they are e
The two small bumps on the front of the head of this Lesser stag beetle ( Dorcas parallelipipedus ) identify this as a female. The larvae of both species feed on decaying wood and can be found in old tree stumps.
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