Mansur Al Fahad sent me a few
photos of an Urchin Beetle Priionotheca
cornata that he took in Saudi Arabia and has kindly allowed me to use them on
my website. The
Urchin Beetle is a large ground beetle with a blackish oval body and long legs.
The head and thorax are much smaller than the abdomen and the elytra is
hardened and covered with spikes. The antennae are longer than the head and
thorax. They are not a common beetle in the Middle East but are occasionally
seen at night. This beetle is harmless and protects itself by burying its head
in the sand and holding its hardened elytra up with the spikes exposed. The
feed on seeds and leaves as well as rotten vegetable waste.
