Devil’s coach horse beetle belonging to the rove beetles family is indigenous to North Africa and Europe. However, it later made its mark in the continents of America and Australasia. This beetle was associated with the Devil in different folklores since the Middle Ages and has been called so, alongcol3 other names like Devil’s coachman and Devil’s footman.
Size: 20 – 32 mm (0.8 – 1.3 inches)
Color: The devil’s coach horse beetle has a dark coloration mainly because of the black hairs covering its body.
Other Characteristic Features: These beetles are exceptional because of their large size and prominent features. They have a long body, alongcol3 short wing covers which cover only the thorax but keep their powerful and strong abdomen exposed. In fact the abdominal segments of these beetles have coverings of sclerotized plates.
The larva takes a month to emerge from the eggs and go through three instars, growing to about 20 – 26 mm (0.78 – 1.02 inches) during the final stage. Initially, they appear white, having a straw-colored head, with the hue deepening with maturation. They dwell underground, and similar to the adults, the larvae also have prominent mandibles, raising their tails and opening their jaws if disturbed.
The larval stage lasts for approximately five months, after which it starts to pupate. The pupation period spans about 35 days. When the adult emerges, their body color develops, but the wings remain underdeveloped for a while.
The females lay eggs in about 21 days from mating in damp habitats like leaf litter, stones, or cow manure. The big-sized eggs, 4mm (0.16 inches) in size, appear white with dark bands.
| Other Names | Devil’s coachman, devil’s footman, cock-tail beetle, devil’s steed, darbh-daol or dearga-daol (in Ireland) |
| Adult lifespan | 9 – 12 months |
| Duration of larval stage | 5 months |
| Distribution | Native: Europe (mainly Britain and Ireland), North Africa Invasive: Australasia, Americas |
| Habitat | Woodland, hedgerows, meadow, grassland |
| Common Predators | Not recorded |
| Seasons active from | April – October |
| Host Plants | Not recorded |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Slug, spider, worm, woodlice, small moth |
They do not cause damage to plants but fiercely prey upon insects, catching the enemy with their strong mandibles and reducing it to a ball or bolus. Chewing and swallowing the bolus constantly coverts it to a liquid, which finally gets digested.
In the case of any infestation in the backyard or garden, one could get rid of them by removing their food source like any rotting insect from the sight. However, as they are harmless and don’t bite unless provoked, leaving these beetles to themselves would be a better option.
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Devil’s coach horse beetle belonging to the rove beetles family is indigenous to North Africa and Europe. However, it later made its mark in the continents of America and Australasia. This beetle was associated with the Devil in different folklores since the Middle Ages and has been called so, alongcol3 other names like Devil’s coachman and Devil’s footman.
Size: 20 – 32 mm (0.8 – 1.3 inches)
Color: The devil’s coach horse beetle has a dark coloration mainly because of the black hairs covering its body.
Other Characteristic Features: These beetles are exceptional because of their large size and prominent features. They have a long body, alongcol3 short wing covers which cover only the thorax but keep their powerful and strong abdomen exposed. In fact the abdominal segments of these beetles have coverings of sclerotized plates.
The larva takes a month to emerge from the eggs and go through three instars, growing to about 20 – 26 mm (0.78 – 1.02 inches) during the final stage. Initially, they appear white, having a straw-colored head, with the hue deepening with maturation. They dwell underground, and similar to the adults, the larvae also have prominent mandibles, raising their tails and opening their jaws if disturbed.
The larval stage lasts for approximately five months, after which it starts to pupate. The pupation period spans about 35 days. When the adult emerges, their body color develops, but the wings remain underdeveloped for a while.
The females lay eggs in about 21 days from mating in damp habitats like leaf litter, stones, or cow manure. The big-sized eggs, 4mm (0.16 inches) in size, appear white with dark bands.
| Other Names | Devil’s coachman, devil’s footman, cock-tail beetle, devil’s steed, darbh-daol or dearga-daol (in Ireland) |
| Adult lifespan | 9 – 12 months |
| Duration of larval stage | 5 months |
| Distribution | Native: Europe (mainly Britain and Ireland), North Africa Invasive: Australasia, Americas |
| Habitat | Woodland, hedgerows, meadow, grassland |
| Common Predators | Not recorded |
| Seasons active from | April – October |
| Host Plants | Not recorded |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Slug, spider, worm, woodlice, small moth |
They do not cause damage to plants but fiercely prey upon insects, catching the enemy with their strong mandibles and reducing it to a ball or bolus. Chewing and swallowing the bolus constantly coverts it to a liquid, which finally gets digested.
In the case of any infestation in the backyard or garden, one could get rid of them by removing their food source like any rotting insect from the sight. However, as they are harmless and don’t bite unless provoked, leaving these beetles to themselves would be a better option.
Image Source: s3.amazonaws.com, inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com, wtlivewebtierstorage.blob.core.windows.net, andrejfourie.files.wordpress.com, upload.wikimedia.org, lh3.googleusercontent.com
