Devil's Coach Horse Beetle

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.

Identified on: 4/18/2026