Both inorganic and organic chemistry were a mystery to the BugLady, but not, apparently, to the Bombardier beetle. Its spray consists mainly (80%) of concentrated formic acid (which is also deployed by ants), with some acetic acid and wetting agents thrown in. They can be found in woodlands, backyards, and moist areas. For years, the BugLady misidentified this leggy, inch-long beetle as a Bombardier beetle (genus Both are in the Ground beetle family Carabidae, a group of (mostly) dark-colored, speedy, long-lived, nocturnal carnivores. You may read more about it on BugGuide, including the warning that “Caution: These beetles have chemical defenses (see Rossini et al. Waldbauer, in his This beautiful False Bombardier Beetle is about twice the size of the “real” Bombardier Beetle.
Hi Michael, This is a False Bombardier Beetle, probably Galerita bicolor. Thanks again so much!I found one false bombardier inside my house one evening. Come to lights, sometimes wander into houses.” But—the BugLady promises that it does not contain elves, reindeer, Grinches, chipmunks, snowmen, or Jimmy Stewart. They meander along rocks, logs and leaf litter, and may be active at night as well as during the daytime. Trade Secret #1 is that insects, being both cold-blooded and quick, are slowed down a bit by a brief sojourn in the refrigerator (a longer stay, alas, accidentally kills them). Located in south central Iowa.I find at least one False Bombardier Beetle in the house a day. 1997)”.
You can compare your image to photos on BugGuide. I actually had figured it out after sending you this message thanks to your page.
For information about UWM’s fall semester plans, visit the Like other media in the period between Christmas and New Year’s, this is a rerun, though it is slightly enhanced from its original appearance eight years ago. Formic acid smells bad and is noxious to vertebrate and invertebrate pursuers alike. Its spray consists mainly (80%) of concentrated formic acid (which is also deployed by ants), with some acetic acid and wetting agents thrown in. They look creepy and are rather annoying. Thank you! You will receive a new password via e-mail. This is a False Bombardier Beetle, Galerita janus. Her mashed potato serving bowl made a perfect backdrop for this beetle. False Bombardier Beetles are a member of the Ground Beetle family, which is large and diverse.
Most were a big surprise to homeowners; some were typical “house bugs,” but many were outside bugs that wandered in; and true “pest species” were rare.Folks sometimes ask the BugLady how she gets some of her photos. False Bombardier Beetle This False Bombardier Beetle (Galerita janus) (probably) has dialed it back just a bit. Thanks.I found one today and I am planning to release it into my vegetable garden in hopes that it will eat any destructive pests there.Let me just start by saying yes, I am one of those people with an irrational phobia of bugs! When threatened, the Bombardier beetle presumably squeezes some HQ’s and HP into the OE in the reactor chamber, where the chemicals mix and produce a thermodynamic reaction—smoke, mirrors, liquid and heat—that can be precisely aimed. It was the only page I found helpful! According to BugGuide, the False Bombardier Beetles in the genus Galerita: “eat other insects, especially caterpillars.” BugGuide also notes they are found in: “Open woodlands, under stones, leaves.
They found 10,000+ specimens and concluded that each home averaged 93 species from 62 families of insects and spiders, with some larger homes topping 500 species.
As unwanted visitors go, you could do much worse than this False Bombardier Beetle. They are hard to squash.I have several in my converted basement home in Kansas, but their legs are black. According to Eaton and Kaufman in their This volatile load is not carried around “as is”, it is assembled on demand. The beetle you submitted is not a Blister Beetle, but a False Bombardier Beetle in the genus Galerita, and it is a Ground Beetle.
It’s found in open woods and brush piles (and the BugLady’s basement and bathtub), where it often preys on caterpillars (but not in the BugLady’s bathtub). This False Bombardier Beetle (Galerita janus) (probably) has dialed it back just a bit.
I can’t even find where they are getting in the house. (How do I upload a picture?) Could that somehow be attracting them?Please enter your username or e-mail address. Do they normally bother humans this much! Besides keeping a possible light off at night where they might be sneaking in at, what else can I do to keep them outside?Seal the breach in your property, beginning with gaps in windows and doors.Just found one crawling on my arm here in East Central Indiana. Their The Brachinus Bombardier beetle, not pictured here, is a chemical marvel.