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Animal profile

Devil's Coach Horse

Ocypus olens

InsectaGardens, woodland, hedgerows and grassland, under stones and litter by day

Field profile

The devil's coach horse is a large black rove beetle with very short wing cases that leave most of the abdomen exposed. When disturbed it raises its abdomen scorpion-fashion and opens its jaws. It hunts invertebrates at night and can fly, despite an appearance that suggests otherwise.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-01-30

Devil's Coach Horse

Rove beetles fold full wings under tiny covers

The devil's coach horse looks wingless: its elytra are short stubs covering almost nothing. Beneath them lie fully functional hindwings, folded through several creases into a package a fraction of their open size.

Read with evidence →

Devil's Coach Horse | Daily Animal Facts