Leather beetle
It is the largest ground beetle in Europe, reaching 40 mm long, and it can spray a foul smelling defensive fluid when disturbed.
| Where | Deciduous forest floor and woodland edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 30 to 40 mm body length |
| When | April to October |
The Leather beetle is entirely black with a broad thorax, and its elytra are pitted with small dents that sometimes merge into a wrinkled, leathery texture.
It hunts slugs, worms and other invertebrates at night among forest leaf litter, and it rests in a dormant state through the hottest, driest weeks of summer.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Black
Active
Night
To people
Does not sting people, though it may release a strong smelling defensive fluid if picked up.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Somewhat smaller at 20 to 30 mm, with smooth black elytra bordered by a violet or indigo sheen absent from the plain black Leather beetle.
Questions
Is the Leather beetle dangerous to people?
Does not sting people, though it may release a strong smelling defensive fluid if picked up.
When can you see the Leather beetle?
The Leather beetle can be seen from April to October, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Udo Schmidt from Deutschland, CC BY‑SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
The plate on this page is shared under the same licence as its source, CC BY-SA.
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Beetles›Ground beetles›Carabus
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.