Rove Beetle (Devils Coach Horse)
Predator
Rove beetles are agile predators that favour damp, sheltered ground. The devil's coach horse is the best-known large black rove beetle and an impressive night hunter. Though it may raise its abdomen defensively when startled, it is a useful garden ally, helping control soil-dwelling pests in beds, compost areas and borders.
How to identify it
The devil's coach horse is usually 20-30 mm long, matt black and elongated, with very short wing cases that leave much of its segmented abdomen exposed. It may curl that abdomen upwards when disturbed, but it is not a scorpion and has no sting. Other rove beetles are smaller and similarly narrow. Eggs hatch into active, long-bodied larvae; these pupate in soil before becoming adults. Most are seen after dusk or beneath cover.
How it helps your garden
Rove beetles hunt slugs, small snails, vine weevil grubs, fly larvae, caterpillars and other soft-bodied invertebrates, often after dark. In compost and soil they can help reduce pest pressure near vulnerable seedlings. They are part of a larger predator community with ground beetles, centipedes, frogs and birds, each using different hunting spaces and times.
How to attract it
Keep damp refuges such as log piles, leaf litter, compost heaps, stones and dense ground cover, especially along bed edges. Leave some soil undisturbed and avoid clearing every fallen leaf. A pond margin or shaded border can be especially suitable. Grow a long season of single flowers, including RHS Plants for Pollinators, and avoid pesticides that harm beetles and the prey that sustains them.
Tips
If a devil's coach horse raises its abdomen, step back and let it continue on its way. Handle neither adults nor larvae unless essential. Turn compost carefully and return cover after gardening, giving these night hunters a reliable refuge close to their feeding areas.
Rove Beetle (Devils Coach Horse): frequently asked questions
How does rove beetle (devils coach horse) help the garden?
Rove beetles hunt slugs, small snails, vine weevil grubs, fly larvae, caterpillars and other soft-bodied invertebrates, often after dark.
How do I attract rove beetle (devils coach horse) to my garden?
Keep damp refuges such as log piles, leaf litter, compost heaps, stones and dense ground cover, especially along bed edges.
How do I identify rove beetle (devils coach horse)?
The devil's coach horse is usually 20-30 mm long, matt black and elongated, with very short wing cases that leave much of its segmented abdomen exposed.
General guidance for encouraging wildlife in UK gardens. Page updated 19 Sep 2026.