Red-striped oil beetle

The red-striped oil beetle, "Berberomeloe majalis" is one of the largest insects found in Europe, with a typical length around 5 cm. Its large size and the bright red bands around its body make it unmistakable; its colouration is aposematic, reflecting its ability, in common with other oil or blister beetles in the family Meloidae, to squirt a caustic liquid if attacked.