Red-breasted carrion beetle © Tom Hibbert
Red-breasted carrion beetle
Scientific name: Oiceoptoma thoracicum
These distinctive beetles are often found around dead birds and small mammals.
Species information
About
The red-breasted carrion beetle can be found across most of Britain, but is generally scarce and patchily distributed. However, in some places it can be quite common. It can live in a variety of habitats, but is often encountered in woodland. Adults are active between April and September, both at night and during the day. They're strong fliers that can sometimes be seen climbing grass stems before taking flight. They are attracted to carrion, particularly dead birds and small mammals. They may also visit dung and decaying mushrooms.How to identify
A distinctive beetle, thanks to its bright red or orange pronotum (the section behind the head). The rest of the body is dark grey or black, with obvious lines running along the wing cases. It's a fairly flattened, oval beetle.Larvae look like flattened woodlice, with pale patches on the edges of each dark body segement.
Distribution
Widespread but locally distributed across most of mainland Britain. Rarer in the southwest of England.Habitats
Bertie Gregory/2020VISION