Bloody-Nosed Beetle vs Blue Paederine Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bloody-Nosed Beetle Blue Paederine Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Timarcha tenebricosa Paederus balcanicus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Staphylinidae
Size 10-20 mm 7-9 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Predators
Regions Western Europe Balkans, Turkey, Middle East
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bloody-Nosed Beetle

A large, flightless, domed black beetle that oozes red fluid from its mouth when threatened. The secretion contains distasteful chemicals.

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Did You Know?

The red defensive fluid is actually hemolymph, the beetle equivalent of blood.

Blue Paederine Rove Beetle

A colorful Paederus rove beetle with metallic blue elytra and an orange thorax, found in southeastern Europe. Like all Paederus, it contains the blistering agent pederin in its body fluids.

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Did You Know?

In Turkey and the Middle East, outbreaks of this species near villages can cause hundreds of dermatitis cases in a single season.