Eleodes osculans


Eleodes osculans, the wooly darkling beetle, is a common nocturnal insect in coastal southern California. As a stink beetle of genus Eleodes, its easily observed defensive posture is to raise its hind end and secrete an unpleasant odor. This is one of the few Tenebrionid beetle species in North America to be covered in visible fuzz. E. osculans is the only known darkling beetle species which has brightly colored reddish brown hair covering most of its black exoskeleton.