23-10-2026 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLOODY NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)

Key Identification & Physical Traits

• Appearance: They are large, rounded, bulky beetles measuring between 11 to 23 mm in length. They feature a matte or slightly iridescent blue-black exoskeleton and thick, highly segmented antennae that resemble a tiny black string of pearls.

• Flightless Nature: Unlike most beetles, their wing casings (elytra) are completely fused together, making them entirely flightless.

• Specialized Feet: Their legs have wide, padded tarsi equipped with hundreds of tiny adhesion hairs, allowing them to easily climb smooth vertical surfaces.

The Famous Defense Mechanism

The common names "bloody-nosed beetle" and "blood spewer" come from its unique, chemical defense behavior known as reflex bleeding. When handled or threatened by predators, the beetle intentionally ruptures thin membranes in its mouth to exude a bright red-orange drop of hemolymph (insect blood). This liquid is foul-tasting, acidic, and highly effective at deterring predators like birds or small mammals.

Habitat, Diet, & Lifecycle

• Diet: Both adults and larvae are monophagous, feeding almost exclusively on plants in the bedstraw family (Galium), such as Lady's Bedstraw, Heath Bedstraw, and Cleavers (Goosegrass).

• Habitat: They are frequently found plodding along paths, coastal cliffs, grasslands, heathlands, and hedgerows.

• Activity: While adults can persist for over 14 months and are active from spring through autumn, they are predominantly nocturnal, choosing to hide beneath stones or moss during the day.

• Larvae: The larvae are thick, slow-moving grubs up to 20 mm long, sporting a unique metallic blue-black coloration.

26-9-2026 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLOODY NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)

The bloody-nosed beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa), also called blood spewer or blood-spewing beetle, is a leaf beetle native to Europe.

T. tenebricosa measures 15–20 mm in length, is blue-black in colour and is both larger and more constricted on the base of its pronotum than the visually similar T. goettingensis (the lesser bloody-nosed beetle). The body is strongly curved, and elytra smooth and finely punctuated. Its antennae are thick and well segmented, its legs have long tarsi and terminate with a double hook.

Timarcha tenebricosa is monophagous; the larvae feed exclusively on bedstraws, especially species with tender leaves (such as Galium verum and Galium mollugo). The adult beetles usually move slowly on the ground, in the grass and herbaceous plants, mainly at night.

As a defensive behaviour, they exude droplets of their bright red-orange hemolymph by breaking thin membranes in their mouth, which is foul-tasting to predators. This phenomenon of reflex bleeding exists in some other insects, such as ladybugs.

Eggs are laid in spring on bedstraw. Larvae may measure up to 20 mm and are blue-black in colour. The pupae overwinter.

The beetle can be found in southern and central Europe, and is common in Britain and Ireland.

11-12-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLOODY NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)

The bloody-nosed beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa), also called blood spewer or blood-spewing beetle, is a leaf beetle native to Europe.

T. tenebricosa measures 15–20 mm in length, is blue-black in colour and is both larger and more constricted on the base of its pronotum than the visually similar T. goettingensis (the lesser bloody-nosed beetle). The body is strongly curved, and elytra smooth and finely punctuated. Its antennae are thick and well segmented, its legs have long tarsi and terminate with a double hook.

Timarcha tenebricosa is monophagous; the larvae feed exclusively on bedstraws, especially species with tender leaves (such as Galium verum and Galium mollugo). The adult beetles usually move slowly on the ground, in the grass and herbaceous plants, mainly at night.

As a defensive behaviour, they exude droplets of their bright red-orange hemolymph by breaking thin membranes in their mouth, which is foul-tasting to predators. This phenomenon of reflex bleeding exists in some other insects, such as ladybugs.

Eggs are laid in spring on bedstraw. Larvae may measure up to 20 mm and are blue-black in colour. The pupae overwinter.

The beetle can be found in southern and central Europe, and is common in Britain and Ireland.

8-10-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLOODY NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)

 The bloody-nosed beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa), also called blood spewer or blood-spewing beetle, is a leaf beetle native to Europe.

T. tenebricosa measures 15–20 mm in length, is blue-black in colour and is both larger and more constricted on the base of its pronotum than the visually similar T. goettingensis (the lesser bloody-nosed beetle). The body is strongly curved, and elytra smooth and finely punctuated. Its antennae are thick and well segmented, its legs have long tarsi and terminate with a double hook.

Timarcha tenebricosa is monophagous; the larvae feed exclusively on bedstraws, especially species with tender leaves (such as Galium verum and Galium mollugo). The adult beetles usually move slowly on the ground, in the grass and herbaceous plants, mainly at night.

As a defensive behaviour, they exude droplets of their bright red-orange hemolymph by breaking thin membranes in their mouth, which is foul-tasting to predators. This phenomenon of reflex bleeding exists in some other insects, such as ladybugs.

Eggs are laid in spring on bedstraw. Larvae may measure up to 20 mm and are blue-black in colour. The pupae overwinter.

The beetle can be found in southern and central Europe, and is common in Britain and Ireland.

4-10-2022 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLOODY NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/118838-Timarcha-tenebricosa

6-12-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLOODY NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)

The bloody-nosed beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa), also called blood spewer or blood-spewing beetle, is a leaf beetle native to Europe.

T. tenebricosa measures 15–20 mm in length, is blue-black in colour and is both larger and more constricted on the base of its pronotum than the visually similar T. goettingensis (the lesser bloody-nosed beetle). The body is strongly curved, and elytra smooth and finely punctuated. Its antennae are thick and well segmented, its legs have long tarsi and terminate with a double hook.

Timarcha tenebricosa is monophagous; the larvae feed exclusively on bedstraws, especially species with tender leaves (such as Galium verum and Galium mollugo). The adult beetles usually move slowly on the ground, in the grass and herbaceous plants, mainly at night.

 

As a defensive behaviour, they exude droplets of their bright red-orange hemolymph by breaking thin membranes in their mouth, which is foul-tasting to predators. This phenomenon of reflex bleeding exists in some other insects, such as ladybugs.

Eggs are laid in spring on bedstraw. Larvae may measure up to 20 mm and are blue-black in colour. The pupae overwinter.

The beetle can be found in southern and central Europe, and is common in Britain and Ireland.

2-11-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLOODY NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)

The bloody-nosed beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa), also called blood spewer or blood-spewing beetle, is a leaf beetle native to Europe.

T. tenebricosa measures 15–20 mm in length, is blue-black in colour and is both larger and more constricted on the base of its pronotum than the visually similar T. goettingensis (the lesser bloody-nosed beetle). The body is strongly curved, and elytra smooth and finely punctuated. Its antennae are thick and well segmented, its legs have long tarsi and terminate with a double hook.

Timarcha tenebricosa is monophagous; the larvae feed exclusively on bedstraws, especially species with tender leaves (such as Galium verum and Galium mollugo). The adult beetles usually move slowly on the ground, in the grass and herbaceous plants, mainly at night.

As a defensive behaviour, they exude droplets of their bright red-orange hemolymph by breaking thin membranes in their mouth, which is foul-tasting to predators. This phenomenon of reflex bleeding exists in some other insects, such as ladybugs.

Eggs are laid in spring on bedstraw. Larvae may measure up to 20 mm and are blue-black in colour. The pupae overwinter.

The beetle can be found in southern and central Europe, and is common in Britain and Ireland.