A Biodiversity Information System for Cheshire, Halton, Warrington & Wirral

Dear All,

Please can anyone help ID the attached beetles? We have had lots and lots in our house over the last month or so. Mainly downstairs, and around the fireplace. We have three samples in the office if anyone would like to see! They use to have slightly red shoulders, but that has disappeared as they have died (and been sat in the office for a week or so!)

Thanks in advance for any help

Hannah

P.s - Please excuse the mold on one of them!

Hannah

Can you give any dimensions please - length, width ??

Cheers

Steve

Hi Hannah
This is the rather ubiquitous Mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor. It is quite usual at this time of the year to find the odd one or two in the house, often on the windowsill trying to get out. They fly around in nice weather and come into houses. However, if you have 'lots and lots' that suggests a source of food somewhere in the house. If you had said in the kitchen I would suggest looking for forgotten cereal products etc (hence the name). Mainly downstairs around the chimney suggests a birds nest in the chimney itself or in the attic - pigeon possbly. If you discover a currently used nest, get rid of it as soon as the birds have gone. A lot of pest species in the wild use nests and feed on droppings, feathers, skin scales etc (yum yum). I have known people to have infestations in a bedroom caused by pests coming from the attic through a crack in the ceiling.

Cheers
Don

Thanks very much for your help Don. My Mum thought something might have fallen down our chimney and died, behind the gas fireplace.

Thanks again for your help, my Mum will be chuffed they have been identified!!

Hannah

Hi Hannah

I tried to post a reply to this a few days ago, but after typing a long message, my connection went just as I was going to send it
Tell your mum not to worry about them, they are fairly harmless. It is quite normal this time of year to find one or two in the house - they fly about in warm weather and come in through windows etc. It is a bit odd that you have been finding a lot for some time, and I think it may be worth looking in the loft (if you haven't done so). If for example pigeons got in, because they breed several times in a year, that might lead to a more long term problem.
I get a lot of pest enquiries and some can be a bit tricky to figure out!

cheers
Don

Thank you very much for your help on the Mealworm Beetle Don.

I now have another Beetle to pick your brains with! It was sent to me this morning - quite a few were found in a garden.

Thanks

Hannah

Sadly No. It was found in Bristol.

Thanks for the ID.

Hannah

This photograph was taken at the Bioblitz. If we can get an id, then it might be another species to add to the list.

Tom,

It looks a little like Oulema melanopa but sadly this was split a few years ago so there is a 'confusion' species which means that photos are of little use. Are there any other dorsal photos ?

Best to ask Don I think.

Cheers

Steve