Carabus

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Order	Coleoptera
Suborder	Adephaga
Family	Carabidae
Subfamily	Carabinae
Tribe	Carabini
Genus	Carabus

Scientific Name

Carabus nemoralis

Common Name

European ground beetle

Description

Ground beetles belong to a very large family with thousands of species in North America. These insects are predatory as both adults and larvae. The larvae are found underground. Most adults forage at the soil surface, although some will climb plants to search for prey. Ground beetles feed on eggs and larvae of root maggots, aphids, caterpillars, beetle larvae, snails, slugs, and weed seeds. They are typically dark and shiny, color varies but most are dark brown, black, or metallic. The wing covers often have striations or pits and they have threadlike antennae.

Distinctive Features

Adults vary by species, some are black or metallic colored. Rarely known to fly, these insects prefer to forage on the ground, often hiding in soil cracks.

Life Cycle

Adult females lay eggs in various locations, mostly on or in soil. The eggs hatch into larvae which are predacious on other insects and arthropods, eventually pupating and emerging as adults. It can take up to 1 year to complete their life cycle, and beetles can live 2-3 years.

Prey

Feed on eggs and larvae of root maggots, aphids, caterpillars, beetle larvae, snails, slugs, and weed seeds.

Habitat

Larvae are found in soil burrows, adults are predominantly found on the soil surface or perhaps hiding in soil cracks or under leaf litter. Some are known to climb foliage in search of prey.

Floral Resources

A few species are known to feed on pollen and seeds.

Distribution

Various species are common throughout every state south of Canada.

Origin

Mostly native.

Occurrence

Very Common.

Size

3-36 mm.

Color

Reddish, brown, black, metallic copper, blue or green.

Acknowledgements

We thank the North Central IPM Center for funding this project and members of the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group for supplying the bulk of the content. We also acknowledge Michigan State University, Oregon State University, the Xerces Society, and USDA Agricultural Research Services for their support and contributions to the development of this smartphone app.

Some information regarding pollinators and habitat management was adapted with permission from Attracting Native Pollinators, the Xerces Society’s guide to protecting North Americas bees and butterflies. The bulletin "How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides (PNW 591)" is used with permission, copyright Oregon State University. Information about colony collapse disorder and the value of pollinators to agriculture was excerpted from the USDA ARS website. Images used from Bugwood include the proper citation number.