Among the most easily seen Coleoptera (beetles), Ladybirds have a separate page in the garden section of the website. The largest native beetle is the Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus, 40mm), though the female predictably lacks the impressive antlers carried by males. Their long-lasting, whitish larvae reside in decayed wood, mostly Oak, and as a result the species requires good woodland management to maintain its numbers. They are effective fliers – an encounter with one (or a Cockchafer for that matter) when cycling is not recommended.

Dor Beetles (Geotrupes stercorarius, 18mm) are dung beetles feeding on mammal dung as adults and larvae. The female can dig burrows up to 60cm deep under a pile of dung in which eggs are laid. Also from the dung beetle family is the Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata, 20mm) but the larvae of this species live in wood and feed on decaying vegetation, takimng up to three years to develop into adults. Adults are often found on flowers, which they feed on.

The Devil’s Coach-horse (Staphylinus olens, 25mm) is a nocturnal rove beetle which preys on other invertebrates, including slugs, which should make them popular with gardeners. When alarmed they raise the abdomen.

Mimics are common among beetles, and the disguise of Clytus arietis, or the Wasp Beetle (17mm), is one of the best. It is a longhorn beetle, though its antennae are shorter than in many of that tribe, and loves the sun. They are herbivores and as with the genus generally the larvae develop in dead wood.

The brightness of some of their coats gives Soldier Beetles their name and Cantharis rustica (14mm) is among the most frequently encountered. Adults, often found on umbellifers, and larvae are both predatory on small invertebrates. On the subject of bright colouring, the image above shows what stunning livery Malachius bipustulatus (7mm) has, particularly on the abdomen. The larvae of this common beetle reside in decaying wood or under bark.

Click beetles are so called because if falling on their back they can noisily use their elytra and thorax in springlike fashion against the ground to regain flight. Athous haemorrhoidalis is one of the largest at up to 15mm and one of the commonest too, seen in large numbers in late spring.

One of the most striking of the pollen-eating beetles is Oedemera nobilis (12mm), whose male has noticeably enlarged hind femorae. This species is easily seen on flower heads through spring and summer and the larvae feed on dead wood.

Net-winged beetles (Platycis minutus, 6mm) are brightly coloured and seen mostly in August or September. Their larvae live in decayed wood feeding on other invertebrates and their larvae.

A ladybird lookalike which feeds solely on Aspen (Populus tremula) is Gonioctena decemnotata (6mm). Aspen provides food and accommodation for a number of invertebrates, including the handsome longhorn beetle Saperda populnea (15mm) and larvae of a beetle which the rare solitary wasp Symmorphus crassicornis collects to provision the nest. Saperda populnea sometimes feeds on other Poplars and Goat Willow.

A larger and scarcer longhorn beetle is Prionus coriarius, which can grow to nearly 50mm and has serrated antennae, particularly the male as in the accompanying image. The larvae develop in the roots of deciduous trees as a rule and adults, which are nocturnal and attracted to artificial light, are seen in July and August. One of these turning up in the sitting room can cause quite a stir. From the same family but more colourful is the female Red Longhorn Beetle (Stictoleptura rubra, female 20mm). Males are not so dashing. The larvae develop in old dead wood and tree stumps, mainly in coniferous forests, and the adults appear at the height of the summer. It is another scarce species in Britain, a Red Data Book species. Leptura quadrifasciata (17mm) is commoner but still only local in incidence.

Rhagium bifasciatum (22m), or the Two-banded Longhorn Beetle, is one of the commonest longhorns in Europe. They tend to use coniferous dead wood for breeding. Less common but equally impressive is Agapanthia villosoviridescens (20mm), whose larvae develop in various plants led by Hogweed and Thistles and which flies from April sometimes to October.

Weevils often come in for hostility because of the damage they can do to crops and garden plants. The larvae generally live inside plant tissue while the adults attack the outside. In fact, not that high a proportion of the 570 or species in Britain actually have an impact on human activity.

Platystomos albinus (10mm) is one of the most striking of the family. They are fungus weevils whose larvae feed on dead wood. The distinctly white markings set them apart from the vast majority of our invertebrates.

Images © Jeremy Early. All rights reserved.