Large Rove
Beetle (three photos)
Genus Tasgius ater

I found this Large Rove Beetle resting on some
tall grass next
to the canal on the Bear River
MBR tour loop. According to
ZipcodeZoo.com, this genus of beetles is the second largest
in the world next to weevils. Wow! And I've only
seen two. © Carol Davis 7-12-2009

When I first took the photo I thought it was a wasp
but then after I looked at it several
times on my computer screen, I thought it might be a relative of an
earwig. This Rove
Beetle is much better than an earwig because it is
predatory and earwigs are just an
overall pain in the tush. It tucks its wings under its short
elytra (wing covers)
much like the earwig. This one has not yet tucked its wings underneath
so
you can
see them hanging down from the elytra. If you look at my
photos of earwigs,
you
will see the elytra where the wings are tucked. Like earwigs,
Rove Beetles also
wave their abdomen up in the air as a warning even though they
have no pincers.
© Carol
Davis, 7-12-2009
This Large Rove Beetle (not Tasgius ater) was running through my carport.
I've only seen two of
these and this one was at my house in Taylorsville. I'm putting this
one here although
I don't think it belongs in the genus Tasgius. © Carol
Davis, 10-12-2009
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