Clown Beetle 'Margarinotus purpurascens'

Clown beetles (also known as Hister beetles) form the family Histeridae, a diverse family containing at least 4,200 species, just 52 of which can be found in the UK.

Some Clown beetles have very specific habitats in often very specific areas but like several other Clown beetle species, Margarinotus purpurascens can be found under or in carrion, rotting vegetation or dung etc.

Arriving late in dung or on carrion, the beetle feeds on the early life stages of other colonising insects.

Strong flyers (spot the hint of a wing in the photo) they possess truncated elytra that leave the final two abdominal segments exposed, and characteristic geniculate (elbowed) antennae with terminal clubs.

Characteristically, when disturbed or threatened they fold their appendages into grooves on their underside and play dead, often for a considerable time.

NBN records are sparse, but appear to show specific geographical concentrations in the Birmigham/Coventry area, Norfolk and (luckily for my garden) the Brighton area, with a few scattered records in outer London.