Bombardier Beetle

12th June 2007, Tuesday

I found a small beetle (about 10mm.) hiding under my boot as I was getting ready to go out today. As I tried to pick it up the beetle seemed to explode with a “pop” and created a white cloud behind it !! So, I thought it might be the Bombardier Beetle Brachinus crepitans and the photo confirms this. It is on the Sussex Rare Species Inventory and has only been recorded once before in Rye Bay.
Bombardier Beetle