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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Paederus fuscipes
Coleoptera / Staphylinidae
Paederus fuscipes is a slender rove beetle whose short wing covers leave much of its orange-and-black abdomen exposed. It occurs in damp grasslands and rice fields, where it preys on small invertebrates.
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The head and abdominal tip are black, contrasting with the reddish-orange pronotum and exposed basal abdominal segments. The short wing covers are dark metallic blue. Antennae and legs have reddish bases and darker distal portions. [2]
In the Tokyo rearing study, larvae passed through two instars and pupated in chambers beneath the soil surface. Adults were the overwintering stage and sometimes sheltered in clusters. [1]
The Tokyo study recorded a chiefly carnivorous diet of insects, mites and soil nematodes, supplemented by decaying plant material. [1]
In Malaysian rice fields, harvesting and ploughing were associated with dispersal flights as the beetles’ habitat was disturbed. [3]
The body fluid contains pederin, a defensive compound that can cause skin irritation when an injured beetle’s haemolymph contacts skin. The fluid is released by damage to the body rather than a sting. [4]
In a Japanese laboratory experiment, pond frogs previously exposed to Sirthenea flavipes nymphs consumed fewer Paederus fuscipes adults than unexposed frogs. The species-specific comparison detected this effect, while the overall test of species and encounter-history interaction was not significant. [4]
The accepted species authority is Curtis, 1826. [5]
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
Kurosa; Japanese Journal of Sanitary Zoology 9 (1958) · Accessed 2026-10-13
ICAR–National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, India · Accessed 2026-10-13
Bong and colleagues; Environmental Entomology 42, 1013–1019 (2013) · Accessed 2026-10-13
Sugiura & Hayashi; PeerJ (2025) · Accessed 2026-10-13
GBIF Secretariat · Accessed 2026-10-13
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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