Carabidae
Ground beetles |
These primarily nocturnal beetles live in or on soil and vary in size from a few millimeters to over 4 cm. Most adults are brown or black, although a few are metallic blue or green. Some of the larger species can live for 2 to 4 years. Although most forage on insects found in or on the soil, some climb into trees, shrubs, and crop plants to hunt. |
The predatory species of these beetles feed on a wide range of insects and animals that live in the soil, including earthworms. Beetles in the genus Calosoma eat caterpillars. and C. sycophanta is an important predator on gypsy moths. The larvae consume up to 40 gypsy moth larvae, and adults eat up to 200. No species are available commercially, although C. sycophanta was introduced in the United States for gypsy moth control. Avoiding frequent tillage and broad-spectrum soil insecticides will conserve these natural predators. |
