Hi Robin, thanks very much. I looked up some Meloe pics and this is very much like some of them. Thanks for warning about the blisters. I didn't think of that. When it first exuded some 'juice', I deliberately dipped my finger in it to smell it. It had no discernible smell. I washed my hands about 15 mins later - hopefully that will be good enough. Thanks again, Rgds, Kay

I agree with Robin. This is a female Meloe. I know because the males have "knots" or "kinks" in the antennae that they use in mating. Generally, your fingers have skin thick enough not to be affected by the blistering agent (cantharadin), but more sensitive areas can be scarred by the chemical. Meloe has an extraordinary life history involving parasitism of solitary bees. They are flightless as adults, so rarely found very far from nesting sites of their hosts.