Rove Beetles

Paederus riparius

Appearance

•  Adult – 7–10 mm. Body colour is an alternating black and red.

Lifecycle

•  Eggs laid singly on moist substances and typically develop in 3–19 days.
•  The larvae pass through two stages before reaching adulthood.
•  Adults are most common in spring and early summer.

Habits

•  They are common in habitats with large numbers of fly larvae, e.g. decaying fruit or seaweed, compost.
•  The larvae and adults are general predators of small insects and other arthropods, including pests of crops.