Biology
Larva of the violet click-beetle Limoniscus violaceus in Windsor Forest © Deborah Harvey
Limoniscus violaceus breeds in the dead hollow trunks of ancient trees - in Britain usually in beech (Fagus sylvatica) or ash (Fraxinus excelsior).
The larvae live in the black sodden mulch that forms towards the end of the cycle of decay, usually at or below ground level.
They are omnivorous but feed mostly on other insects and their remains.
