Bloody-nosed beetle

Paws beetle ( Timarcha tenebricosa )

The Paws beetles, also cleavers leaf-beetle ( Timarcha tenebricosa ), a beetle of the family of leaf beetles is ( Chrysomelidae ).

Description

The beetles are with a body length of 15 to 20 mm, the largest beetle in Central Europe. They have a black, slightly bluish body and see dung beetles similar. The elytra have a slight point-like structure and are grown together in the middle, which makes them unable to fly. They have powerful sensors which consist of ball round links. On the legs they have three short but very wide foot members, a narrower foot member, and finally a pair of claws. This " big feet " give the beetle its name.

Way of life

They are ponderous, but very early in the spring go. It also happens that they interrupt on mild winter days their winter rest. If one bothers them, choke them a red or orange liquid from ( reflex bleeding).

The females usually lay their eggs in the summer bedstraw off of the feed on both the larvae and the beetles. It is the pairing of the beetles but also observed in spring or autumn. The larvae hatch the following spring. They are 20 millimeters long, are black and built very plump and spherical. They pupate in the soil. The beetles overwinter.

Occurrence

The beetles are mainly found in South and Central Europe on warm dry grasslands in the mountains and are not rare.