Bloody-nosed Beetle

Timarcha tenebricosa

The bloody-nosed beetle can't fly:
No wings on its body -- that's why.
In the hedgerows it feeds
On the grasses it needs
Never missing the scope of the sky.


© Celia Warren 2016

This is one aspect of blipping that I love - first, noticing this beetle, secondly, finding out what it is, thirdly, realising that the reason I've probably never seen one before is that they mostly come out at night. Wasn't I lucky! Here's more about the bloody-nosed beetle:

It's a leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae and has segmented antennae that look like tiny black pearls. If threatened, it exudes reddish liquid from its mouth, poison to predators. A line down the centre of its abdomen gives the impression of wing cases, but the two halves are fused together and it is flightless. It feeds on lady's bedstraw (Galium verum) and goosegrass/cleavers (Galium aperine).

I include the Latin names for those who are interested and also for those for whom English is not their first language.