Sounds like the title of a block-buster novel or movie doesn’t it, but it’s only a beetle! The Latin name is Ocypus olens, and refers to ‘smelling’ – as it has two white stinky glands on the abdomen, from which they can spray a foul odour as a personal defence (I can’t verify this, as I obviously didn’t get close enough to be seen as a threat!). I have seen quite a few of these lately here in Portugal, and they are apparently quite common - black and shiny, and not very long, maybe 3cm, with many people knowing them as the Devil’s Coach Horse Beetle, Devil's Footman or Devil's Steed, or even sometimes also known as the Cock-Tail Beetle for its habit of raising its abdomen in a threatening pose, similar to that of a scorpion.

Can these beetles bite?

Oh yes, their strong jaws can give a painful bite, and if you disturb one, it will adopt its defensive pose and may even spray out that stinky foul-smelling secretion, so be careful.

They spend their time hidden under stones or fallen leaves, and will feed on a range of invertebrates, including worms, slugs, caterpillars, weevils and spiders (welcome to my garden and eat your heart out, Mr Coachman). Fast moving, the beetle uses its powerful jaws to catch prey on the ground, and although it has short wing cases and is capable of flying, it is rarely seen in the air, but would rather scuttle along the ground in its search for food.

Nocturnal and damp places

The female lays a single egg in a damp area such as moss or leaf litter - and I can understand them making a home in my garden, as I have more damp leaves than you can shake a stick at, laying around in drifts after a windy day. Once hatched, the larvae live and feed underground preying on other invertebrates, and eventually emerge in adult form as an elongated beetle.

How it got its name

The Devil's coach horse is a member of the rove beetle family, of which there are more than 1,000 species in the UK alone. Rove beetles are one of the most diverse families of animals on the planet - there are at least 46,000 species reported so far, and probably many more still to be discovered. This beetle has been associated with the Devil since the Middle Ages, hence its common name.

Myths and Legends

The myths surrounding this beetle are many, and it was believed that it had the ability to curse a person just by pointing its upraised body or tail in their direction. Known in Ireland as Dar Daol (the Devil's beetle), it was rumoured that it could strike a person dead on sight - and would eat sinners! Another Irish myth called it ‘the coffin cutter’, and British folklore has it that this beetle had eaten the core of Eve's apple, and that a person who crushes such a beetle is forgiven seven sins. Some also believed that the beetle had magic powers, and some Irish crop reapers weirdly thought it would improve their skills by putting one in the handle of their scythes.

Another theory was that they should be regarded as a symbolic representation of corruption, and folklore suggested that if anyone had had dealings with the Devil and took money as a consequence, a Devil's Coach Horse Beetle would appear in the hand.

How to get rid of them indoors?

Installing draft excluder brushes on your doors might stop them from getting in, and perhaps you should check around your windows for any gaps where they might sneak in. They are a predator of other pests so they aren't bad to have around, but I can understand not wanting them indoors!

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan