( Ocypus olens )
PHOTO COMMENT
(O. Müller ,1764 )
LOCATION DETAILS
RECOGNITION
BIOLOGY
CREDITS
Eddie Dunbar
Insect Sciences Museum of California
References
| Devil's Coach Hourse ( Ocypus olens ) | |
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PHOTO COMMENT | |
| IDENTIFICATION | |
| Identification: | Ocypus olens (O. Müller ,1764 ) |
| Common Name: | Devil's Coach Hourse |
| Life Stage: | (A) adult |
| PHYLOGENY | |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Superorder: | Holometabola |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Family: | Staphylinidae |
| Subfamily: | Staphylininae |
| Tribe: | Staphylinini |
| Genus: | Ocypus |
| Taxon Code: | COL00119 |
LOCATION DETAILS | |
| Location Name | |
| Gardens at Lake Merritt, Lakeside Park, 666 Bellevue, Oakland | |
| County: | Alameda County |
| ECI Site#: | CA01100110 |
RECOGNITION | |
| Description | |
| Adults: Elongate and entirely jet black all over except for the distal ends of the tarsi and antennae which are dark brown. Elytra are shot covering only it thorax. Abdominal segments are exposed, scleritized and clearly segmented. Larvae: Elongate. Similar in appearance to larvae of the Raphidioptera. The head capsulre is highly scleritized and dark reddish brown. The pronotum is brown, growing lighter further from teh head. The abdomen is a gray-cream color. Its distal end bears a pair of long, fleshy protuberances. | |
| Body Length | |
| 25-28 mm. | |
| Diversity | |
| This beetle is part of a very large family of beetles that is very diverse in form and lifestyle. | |
BIOLOGY | |
| This black beetle usually shelters during the day under stones, logs or leaf litter. It is most often seen in forests, parks and gardens between April and October. | |
| Food | |
| They are formidable predators of invertebrates including slugs, snails and even immature Jerusalem Crickets. | |
| Importance | |
| This insect is well known for its threat display. With little provocation it will curl its abdomen over its back and open jaws to bite. This is similar to the behavior of many insects which feign stinging behavior. It does not sing, but can give a painful bite. It will exude a foul smelling defensive secretion, from a pair of white glands at the end of its abdomen. | |
| Distribution | |
| California has the earliest (1931) record for this insect in North America. It is adventive in the western United States from Arizona, west to California and north to Washington. | |
| Diversity | |
| This beetle is part of a very large family of beetles that is very diverse in form and lifestyle. | |
CREDITS | |
|
Photographer Eddie Dunbar Insect Sciences Museum of California | |
References | |
| Species Ocypus olens - Devil's Coach Horse. (http://bugguide.net/node/view/131894). Accessed March 12, 2016. . | |
| Devil's coach horse beetle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_coach_horse_beetle) | |
