You probably saw this pic on my recent post for Mother Earth News, but this is such an amazing beetle I have to talk more about him. Look at it:
I’ve found a few of these here and just happened to get a great picture this time. They clock in at about 2″ long. Killer.
The Big Eyed Elater
I went hunting for info on this beast and found this here:
“Unlike its many cousins, the Big Eyed Elater larva is a ferocious meat-eater that dines on many other noxious larvae, including those of wood-boring beetles, flies, and other undesirables.”
Awesome. A big cool-looking bug that also kills bad bugs. Who could ask for anything more?
Except maybe a copy of this book
Natural pest control often requires no more than creating a healthy ecosystem and letting nature take over. In this case, by providing my food forest with really cool looking beetles.
3 responses to “Alaus oculatus – the Big Eyed Elater”
What? You're lacking a toddler?
Not I… but I'm sure there are many people reading that do. Poor, poor souls.
I'm all for mini-monsters that do good things like eating the bad guys.