
Community identification
Devil's Coach Horse Beetle
Ocypus olens
- Order & Family
- Coleoptera: Staphylinidae
- Size
- 20 mm to 30 mm
Natural Habitat
Damp areas, gardens, woodland, and under stones or leaf litter
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; feeds on invertebrates like snails, slugs, worms, and woodlice
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal hunter. When threatened, it raises its abdomen and opens its mandibles like a scorpion. It can also emit a foul-smelling substance from its tail.
Risks & Benefits
Benefits the ecosystem by controlling garden pests. While not venomous, it can deliver a painful bite if handled. No risk to structures.