The Wildlife of
Souter Lighthouse

 
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Beetles - The Devil’s Coach-horse

First seen on Wednesday 4th October 2023 at Souter Lighthouse

The Devil's Coach-horse is a special member of the Rove Beetle family (of which there are hundreds of members). This one is huge (up to 3cm long) and curls up its abdomen like a scorpion, although this is only a defence posture. It can also emit could smelling fluids from its mouth and abdomen tip, and give you a nasty bite! It is a fast and ferocious predator, hunting other invertebrates. The name comes from folk lore, as it's long been associated with the devil.