Black Snail Beetle - Silpha atrata
Black Snail Beetle - Silpha atrata 5th October Today was a lovely sunny day and so we went to the beach and had a little walk along Barry Island Beach. The place was packed, and everyone had a dog. Then we figured it out, this was the first weekend of October and so out of season and dogs were allowed once more to run and play on the sand. Heading back to the car we spotted Black Snail Beetle, Silpha atrata scuttling across the path to the safety of the grass. I didn’t have the camera with me and so a few quick snaps with the iPhone was all I could manage, so the photos here are not top drawer. I’ve never knowingly seen one before, but it’s been a great exercise to finding out about it’s rather gruesome eating habits. It’s not a large beetle varying in size between 10-15mm. Many black in colour, it can vary from entirely black to almost completely red. The head and mandibles seem to stick out from beyond the main body and this is an adaption to its method of predation. You wou