The Devil rides out!

As it is after midnight and now the 12th September, this is technically a backblip from the 11th, although I am still up! I'd given up on finding an exciting blip topic and had taken a fairly uninspiring sunset photo but then spotted this ferocious beauty on our gravel drive when I let the dog out after dark. It is illuminated by my head torch and taken on my trusty HTC Desire HD mobile phone camera. This is a Devil's Coach Horse beetle (scientific name: Ocypus olens). It is a staphylinid or rove beetle, a ferocious large-jawed predatory and largely nocturnal ground beetle that feeds on slugs, snails and other garden pests. The invertebrate conservation charity Buglife has produced an excellent summary for this impressive beastie. It has adopted its defensive posture as it felt threatened by me, my light and my camera. And yes, those jaws can deliver a painful bite.