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Spotted it wandering across the Ridgeway on Sunday, looks like a beetle, but doesn’t have noticeable wingcases, although there appears to be vestigial ones just visible. Never seen anything like it before.
Looks like the Ridgeway Finger Eating Beetle.
It may already have had a meal. I mean there are two finger tips growing from that one finger on the left.
It looks like it gorged itself on your fingernails but didn't have enough room for your pinky finger nail
Anyone got a clue as to what this beastie is?
That's Dave.
One of the oil beetle species?
Beat me to it...
European oil beetle.
Oil beetle- might cause a rash( too slow) or be used as an aphrodisiac.
Asked my mate who confirms it's an oil beetle which can cause skin blistering if it emits an oil on your skin....
I've no idea but I sure as shit wouldn't have been picking it up.
I’ve no idea but I sure as shit wouldn’t have been picking it up
To be fair, he's done well to pick it up at all with 3 fingers.
I mean there are two finger tips growing from that one finger on the left.
Could be from Norfolk!
Ooooh lovely. I like a good beetle. Favourite is a native ladybird, or those blue ones you get in forests.
Just for you bunny!
European oil beetle.
Comin over ere, eatin are plants
I hadn’t even noticed the fact that it looks like one finger with two tips! Just the angle and bright light. Anyway, thanks for the ID, I’m only vaguely familiar with oil beetles, I didn’t even know we had such things in this country, I’ve certainly never seen anything like it before. It didn’t seem at all bothered by my picking it up, it was wandering around on the bare tracks left by vehicles along the Ridgeway, but it been closed for environmental reasons for the last couple of years, and there were a lot of people walking and riding along that stretch, I couldn’t bear to let it get squished.
@derek_starship - needs a bit of work, good resto project for enthusiastic beetle lover... 😉
Looking at the link, it’s most likely Meloe proscarabaeus. Amazing to discover something like that exists having never heard of them in the U.K. before.
Thanks all, the STWiki scores again!
I love this place! 😁