Insects generally don't appear very high in the wildlife popularity stakes, unless of course they happen to be butterflies. They can provoke feelings of revulsion and fear, which quite often results in the poor creature's death, just because it happens to fly near someone or land on them. Despite their unpopularity they do however remain a successful life form, none more so than the group that are collectively known as coleoptera, though we know them better as beetles.

There are more than 4,000 species of beetles in Britain alone, of which only a few may be familiar to us, and there are some that we recognise but are perhaps unaware that they are beetles at all. The term "beetle" is thought to have derived from the old English word bitan, meaning to bite, and indeed all species are able to bite though only a few have the capacity to inflict any damage.

Ladybirds are one such family that may surprise people that they are beetles. Even more surprising is that there are over 40 species of them in Britain. The most familiar to us are the two and seven-spot varieties, but there is a whole range up to 24-spot, plus black ones with red spots, red ones with white spots, and yellow ones with black spots. We like ladybirds because they eat greenfly that eat our roses, so we tolerate their presence.

Stag beetles however, are not always held in high regard. Our biggest beetle, the males can reach up to eight centimetres long and support a fine pair of antler-like jaws. Because of their size, they do generate fear, and sadly many of them are deliberately trodden on, despite being a protected species.

Another of our larger beetles that appears to be on the decline is the cockchafer, or maybug, as it is sometimes better known. Quite often you come across these as either dead or in a dazed state, because they are attracted to light and frequently aren't aware of the pane of glass in front of it.

A much smaller beetle, but one that has earned a reputation for being aggressive, is the devil's coach-horse. This is a type of rove beetle posture that has a powerful set of jaws for its size, and when threatened, lifts its tail in a scorpion-like and can also emit a rather offensive liquid. I remember collecting these creatures as a child, and there is no doubt about it, they certainly punch well above their weight and size!

This summer, take a look at the vegetation you're walking through, when you will soon become aware of the variety of bugs and beetles found on, in and around it. They are all pre-occupied with trying to survive. There are enough pitfalls and predators about which make life difficult enough for them, without us humans adding to the problem just because we've taken a dislike to them!

Mike Russell © 2005