I spotted this nasty looking fella on a trail in Killarney last weekend. We hoped to catch the rutting but the weather was terrible, and stags were shy. No fights but a few photos to post later..
Anyway, this guy was huge! This page says they’re about 2.8 cm, but I swear he was bigger. His tail comes up like a scorpion, and he scampered quickly across the ground, making him hard to photograph.
A ferocious and fast predator, the Devil’s coach horse beetle hunts invertebrates after dark in gardens and on grasslands. It is well-known for curling up its abdomen like the tail of a scorpion when defending itself.
wildlifetrusts.org
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a beetle like this before, but apparently they’re common!
| Aperture | ƒ/5 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 150mm |
| ISO | 1250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
