The Bloody Nosed Beetle
I've included this beetle just for interest, it's name and it's defence mechanism.It is strongly domed and flightless with the elytra fused together. It is one of the largest of the leaf beetles. If the Bloody Nosed Beetle gets Bloody Minded, it emits a repellent bright red liquid from it's mouth, this is particularly alarming to birds.
Because of this means of protection, and the fact that it is large (up to 3/4 inch), being fat and slow moving is not a disadvantage. These black beetles are often seen on the ground or feeding on bed straw plants in the roadside hedgerows between April and June. Their soft bodied, greenish-black larvae feed on the same plants. The species pictured above is the largest of the group and is widespread throughout Britain, but most common in western England.
