This Devil's Coach Horse was climbing up my window in the breakfast room today. I wasn't sure what to do with it as it looked a fearsome beastie.
Despite it having a painful bite I found out that it ate slugs so I made a den for it in my vegetable patch using some small stones. I released it from the jam jar but it decided not to stay and flew off across the garden and out of sight.
(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x311/7stephenson/Devilscoachhorse1.jpg)
(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x311/7stephenson/Devilscoachhorse2.jpg)
lovely shot Pauline and your right he's a goodie ;D/ shades x
He's a scary customer alright. Not sure he's actually a devil's coach horse beetle though because they're all black and I think their wings are shorter. Might be a another kind of rove beetle, like the hairy rove beetle.
it's a creophilus maxillosus ;D / shadesx
Thank you Unwashed and Shades. Having looked at the link it was definitely the hairy rove beetle creophilus maxillosus.