[Swing Swang]

Saw these nasty black bugs whilst in Portugal last week. They eat the stalks of tomato plants.

Can anyone ID?

SS

[lucywil]

looks a bit like a devil's coach horse bettle, did it curl its tail up when you got near it?

dont know if they eat tomato plant though

[sunshineband]

Here is a photo:

http://www.uksafari.com/devilscoach-horse.htm

They eat bugs not plants... look at those fierce jaws    so I guess they wouldn't take bites out of your tom plants 

[Swing Swang]

Thanks - that look like it - the tail did curl - we'll have to look for another culprit for the toms though.

SS

[sunshineband]

 


Can't help with the tom culprit though - sorry 

[Beetroot queen]

ewww are they really that big or did you zoom in 

[sunshineband]

Devils coach horses are over an inch long 

[Swing Swang]

Beetroot Queen - It really was big, the front end was larger than the largest wood ant and that I've ever seen so the larger of the two was about 4 to 4.5cm long.

SS