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Ablattaria laevigata Fabricius, 1775

Ablattaria laevigata Ablattaria laevigata
  • Location: Cambridge, Barnwell East LNR, TL47985832.
  • Date: 28 July 2015
  • Family: Silphidae.
  • Recently removed from Silpha. Distinguished from Silpha species by the absence of raised longitudinal lines on the elytra.
  • As well as taking carrion it is a predator of snails.
  • Mainly coastal but found locally inland. NBN Atlas

Nicrophorus interruptus Stephens, 1820

Nicrophorus interruptus
  • Location: Cambridge, England; on bamboo stake for tomato.
  • Date: 8 July 2001
  • Size: About 15mm long (excluding antennae)
  • Family: Silphidae. The Burying or Sexton beetles, these bury carcasses of birds or small mammals by digging away the ground beneath them. They carcasses are then used as food for the larvae.
  • The identification was validated Max Barclay of the Natural History Museum, who noted (in 2001) that the species seemed to be increasing. It had been classed as Notable/Nb, meaning it occurred in less than 100 10-km squares. NBN Atlas

Black Carrion Beetle Phosphuga atrata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Phosphuga atrata
  • Lime Kiln Close, Cherry Hinton TL485560: 23 Aug 2016
  • Both adults and larvae feed upon snails and earthworms.
  • The combination of produced head and mandibles (an adaptation to snail predation), rounded pronotum and longitudinal elytral carinae will identify the species among U.K. silphids.
  • Known as Silpha atrata until recently.
  • NBN Atlas

Megalinus glabratus (Gravenhorst, 1802)

Megalinus glabratus
  • Location: Cambridge, England; on raspberry cane.
  • Date: 15 October 2000
  • Size: About 12mm long (excluding antennae)
  • Family: Staphylinidae
  • Synonym: Xantholinus glabratus
  • NBN Atlas

Alan Hadley suggested the identification, and gives a picture of another specimen. The large size (most related species are less than 8mm), the all black body (apart from elytra) and the lines of 9 or so punctures on the thorax are indicative features.

Devil's Coach-horse Ocypus olens (O.F. Müller, 1764)

Ocypus olens
  • Trumpington Meadows, Cambridge TL433543: 5 Oct 2018
  • Noted for its raised tail posture when threatened.
  • Predates a wide range of small animals e.g. slugs, worms, spiders and woodlice; strongly attracted to carrion.
  • NBN Atlas

Ontholestes murinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Ontholestes murinus
  • Stourbridge Common, Cambridge TL469597: 26 Jul 2016
  • Distinguished from the only other member of the genus, O. tesselatus, by having black legs.
  • Feeds on carrion and on larvae in dung. It is a good flyer.
  • NBN Atlas

Stenus solutus Erichson, 1840

Stenus solutus
  • Location: Cambridge, Perse Girls School Nature Reserve TL446571.
  • Date: 8 Sep 2015
  • Size: About 6mm long
  • Family: Staphylinidae
  • This is actually one of the larger Stenus spp. It has parti-coloured legs, pale bases to the antennae, and no strong punctures on the abdomen.
  • Found in damp riverside vegetation.
  • NBN Atlas

Tachinus subterraneus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Tachinus subterraneus
  • Gwydir Street: 31 Dec 2021
  • Both adults and larvae are predaceous, feeding mostly on diptera larvae and other small insects.
  • NBN Atlas

Tachyporus hypnorum (Fabricius, 1775)

Tachyporus hypnorum
  • Location: Cambridge, England; on edge of compost heap.
  • Date: 17 Mar 2002
  • Size: About 6-7mm long
  • Family: Staphylinidae
  • NBN Atlas

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