Annoying Beetle.... (1 Viewer)

...even more annoying ringflash.

I was woken up at about 12:45 am with sounds of something crashing round the bedroom. Eventually I saw this beetle. I trapped it in a DVD spindle case and took it downstairs to get a photo. "I'll use the Pentax with ringflash, that'll be the best" - or so I thought. The last time I used the combination it worked fine but, just when I needed it most, it malfunctioned. It would flash on P setting at full power or occasionally on 1/4 power but refused to fire, other than on the odd occasion, on AV or manual setting. I did get a few rather poor photos. It was only on reviewing them that I found 1) I hadn't reset the clock to summer time 2) the beetle had an eight legged passenger.

I haven't had chance to look the combination up. If anyone can give me a quick ID (of either or both) that would be great. I presume the beetle is a Common Cockchafer.


Anyway, here are the photos, which are the first and the last I took of the subject. (Those in between are no better, don't show the passenger or are of the spine of books as I tried to get the flash to work properly.


Addendum: third photo added.

It's a Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus humator?). Presumably you've checked under the floorboards for dead bodies recently?

They almost always carry the little orange mites you mention.





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Thanks for that, dantheman. I looked up Nicrophorus, and several sources say that the only all black type in Britain is N. humator as you suggest. Now to try to find it again to get a decent photo. No dead bodies, just a few ashes here and there. I presume it was attracted by the bedroom light and open window earlier in the night.