image source: www.entomart.be 
 
Habitat: found in southern and central Europe, and is common in Britain and Ireland
Status: No Conservation Concerns

This large flightless leaf beetle, known as the Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa), has a peculiar defense mechanism that is entirely cringe worthy.

I’m sure you could guess by its name, but to ward off predators the Bloody-nosed beetle is able to secrete a foul-tasting [and smelling] blood red fluid from its mouth that no predator (except maybe a vampire?) would want to mess with.

The red, stinky fluid is hemolymph, which is the fluid in the circulatory system of arthropods (e.g. spiders, crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp, and insects).

The beetle is mainly active at night, spending its days hiding under moss or stones.

Here’s a video showing the beetle’s bloody good skill: