Bee-eating Beetle
Trichodes alvearius
Despite their name, adult bee-eating beetles rarely eat adult bees; it is their stealthy larvae that feast on bee grubs deep inside solitary bee nests.
- Scientific name
- Trichodes alvearius
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Cleridae › Trichodes
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Sunny flower-rich meadows, forest edges, pastures, and domestic gardens.
- Diet
- Adults eat pollen, nectar, and small flower-visiting insects; larvae prey on the larvae and food stores of solitary bees.
- Range
- Southern Europe, Central Europe, North Africa, Middle East
- Size
- 8 to 16 mm in length
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 years (mostly spent in the larval stage; adults live for only a few weeks)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Loss of wildflower meadows, intensive agricultural pesticide use, and the decline of solitary bee host populations.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This beetle is safe to observe closely as it feeds on flowers. It does not sting, and while it possesses mandibles, it rarely bites humans unless pinched or handled roughly, resulting only in a minor, non-venomous nip. If it lands on you, simply blow gently to encourage it to fly away.
Trichodes alvearius is a species of Soldier or Checkered beetle belonging to the family Cleridae, subfamily Clerinae.
Photo: portioid, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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