DESCRIPTION:13mm to 18mm in length. Also known as the Black Cock Beetle this common coleopteran is best recognised by the dark coloration, the large head with black palps and rounded pronotum that bears deep basal fovea. The elytra are black with punctured striae and the last segment of the tarsi have setae underneath. The legs are black or wine coloured. BEHAVIOUR: The flightless adults are predators and scavengers feeding on small insects, slugs and snails and waste plant material. Groups can be found sheltering together under bark and logs. After breeding in autumn, females lay their eggs on the host plant. The larvae have three instars and feed on small, soft-bodied organisms. DISTRIBUTION: Common throughout the UK and very well recorded. HABITAT: Under stones and bark in gardens, woodlands and damp grassland.  PERIOD: Can be seen all year round.