The Four-Spotted Silphus (Dendroxena quadrimaculata) is an insect in the Silphidae family of carrion beetles and burying beetles. It is a silphid.
The Four-Spotted Silphus has a flattened, oval-shaped, orange-brown body and elytra (wing casings) marked with four black spots. Its scutellum (head) and the centre of the pronotum is black.
It grows to one centimetre (a third to half an inch) long.
It is common across Europe. It prefers oak wood forests and woodlands. It is seen from April to June in the Northern Hemisphere. It overwinters as an adult in embankments.
It is a predatory beetle. It feeds on caterpillars, sawfly larva, and aphids.
The life cycle of the Four-Spotted Silphus is egg, larva, pupa, and adult beetle. The female lays eggs in the soil. The eggs hatch into larvae, which feed on other insect larvae and carrion (dead animals). The larvae pupate and emerge as adult beetles.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM