Bombardier beetles

[paul m]

This is a bombardier beetle that I found in grassland near Dol, Brittany - they're quite rare in UK. It's a small ground beetle which has the ability, when attacked, to release a stream of chemicals from its rear which ignite and explode!

There are several species - does anyone see them regularly? Brachinus crepitans is the most common in UK.



Better picture at:

http://bugguide.net/images/cache/5QV...2KQK2KEQNK.jpg

[Guy F]

I've never seen one personally, they sound very interesting. Have you ever seen one 'blast' anything?
Guy

[paul m]

No, indeed, I've hardly ever seen the beetle .... I have seen it on film. I'm told that they used to be common in some places in London - if you didn't se them you could hear them cracking at night ....

Originally Posted by Guy F

I've never seen one personally, they sound very interesting. Have you ever seen one 'blast' anything?
Guy

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

This is a bombardier beetle that I found in grassland near Dol, Brittany - they're quite rare in UK. It's a small ground beetle which has the ability, when attacked, to release a stream of chemicals from its rear which ignite and explode!

Fantastic! I have never heard of, or seen them (I think, but they look familar). I have just had a quick google it says they are ground beetles Carabidae, but I can't see a latin name, but if there are over 500 species, that's alot of Latin names to devise!

[pgmoni]

Hello
If you look up Brachynus crepitans, you'll find what you are after...
Cheers
Philippe

[paul m]

Welcome Philippe. Nice to have some Belgian insect expertise here!

Originally Posted by pgmoni

Hello
If you look up Brachynus crepitans, you'll find what you are after...
Cheers
Philippe

[pgmoni]

Thanks for the word of welcome Paul.
Belgian it is, but I am not too sure about the expertise part !!

Philippe

[goosey]

Originally Posted by pgmoni

Hello
If you look up Brachynus crepitans, you'll find what you are after...
Cheers
Philippe

Thanks Phillipe, that's what I wanted. Good to have you with us! Welcome .

[goosey]

Philippe - a cheeky question, but are you the same Philippe that has the INSECTES11bisbis Webite? If you are, David Jones from My Bit of the Planet passed me your link back in May. A fantastic amount of work and information has gone into it - you should be really proud of it. If you are not the same Philippe, sorry, there are probably a lot of Philippes in Belgium . Have a look it is excellent!
I don't have any knowledge of French but manage with the Latin names to put in to English - thank goodness for Linnaeus!

[H Dogg]

The correct spelling for the Bombardier Beetle is as paul say's Brachinus crepitans. Unless it has changed very recently, which i arnt aware of. Although it seem's to have a y not an i in Brachinus in some non UK text although its the same species. Quite strange.