
Community identification
Devil's Coach Horse Beetle
Ocypus olens
- Order & Family
- Order: Coleoptera; Family: Staphylinidae
- Size
- 20–30 mm (approx. 0.8–1.2 inches)
Natural Habitat
Damp environments, gardens, woodlands, and under stones or leaf litter
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; feeds on invertebrates like slugs, snails, earthworms, and woodlice
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal hunter; when threatened, it raises its abdomen and opens its jaws like a scorpion. It can emit a foul-smelling substance from its tail glands.
Risks & Benefits
It provides benefits to ecosystems and gardeners by controlling pest populations like slugs. While not venomous, it can deliver a painful bite to humans if handled.