Bombardier beetle

Moist ground habitats such as leaf litter, woodland edges, grasslands, and areas beneath stones or logs. Often shelters in soil crevices during the day.

Predatory, eating small insects, larvae, mites, and other arthropods. It may also scavenge occasionally.

Mostly nocturnal and fast-running; it hides beneath debris and may live communally. When threatened, it ejects a hot, irritating chemical spray from the abdomen with an audible popping sound.

Not dangerous to handle but its spray can irritate skin and eyes, especially at close range. It benefits ecosystems by controlling small arthropod populations.