Malthininae species
The Malthininae are a sub family of the Soldier Beetles. Some 17 species are known in Western Europe. Except for a few species, which are entirely black, most species look like the animal in the picture. They are all much smaller than the real Soldier Beetles. The shields are black, usually shorter than the body is and end in a yellow tip. There are two genera. The genus Malthinus is comprised of only two species. The other genus, Malthodes, is comprised of some 15 species. From pictures the species can not be identified. This is also due to a lack of knowledge: not all species are well described and little is known about natural variations in appearance. That is why we can not tell you which species is in the picture. Thus it is impossible to give any information about habitat, life style etc.
