Description and photos of ground beetles

Ground beetles Carabinae subfamily is found almost everywhere. Today, science knows about 50,000 species of these insects. Ground beetles of the genus Ceroglossus inhabit the Chilean-Patagonian region, representatives of the genus Aplothorax live on St. Helena, and individuals belonging to the genus Pamborini have been discovered in New Zealand. From this article you can find out what the beetle beetle looks like, the photo is presented below, what lifestyle he leads and in what conditions he prefers to live.

General Features

About 3,000 species of Carabinae beetles live on the territory of Russia, which differ in size, appearance and even developmental features. Read about how ground beetle looks below.

Appearance

Beetle ground beetle is a rather long insect, the body size of which can reach up to 8 cm, there are also crumbs up to 4 mm, individuals of medium size grow up to 3 cm. Most often there are beetles with a dark color with a shiny metallic shade created by the smallest transverse lines. There are also individuals of red, red and green tones.

The segmented body shape is the main feature of all ground beetles. Sometimes this rule is violated:

• homophrons - are the owners of very wide bodies, characterized by convexity;
• individuals with the genus Demetrius, Drypta, or Odacantha have an elongated stem-shaped body;
• horses are distinguished by long and thin legs;
• Scarites - digging individuals have a constriction, which separates the front and rear parts of the body.

Most species of this family fly very poorly, using a similar method of movement only for resettlement purposes. In such individuals, dense elytra almost completely covers the abdominal region. For some species, the sensation of floating in the air is completely unknown. Their elytra are either absent or underdeveloped, as a result of which they grow together. Due to the loss of flight or its weakening, the beetles have well-developed limbs adapted for walking and running.

Interesting!

Females differ from males by narrowed segments. They are thicker at digging representatives. On the front tibia there is even a tenderloin serving as an organ for cleaning the mustache. Thanks to the claw segment, the beetle is able to attach to the substrate or grasp the plant.

Lifestyle

Some species of ground beetles are located in the ground, there are those that can live on trees or shrubs.

Most of the representatives of this family lead a nocturnal lifestyle, going in search of food.

On a note!

The presence of powerful and strong limbs allows them to travel considerable distances, which is why bugs are called runners or walkers.

Nutrition

The Carabinae family includes insects of different dietary patterns. What ground beetles eat:

• phytophages - beetles that feed on plants;
• entomophages - predators, which are fed by slugs, snails, earthworms, caterpillars, beetles and their larvae;
• Myxophages are a mixed type of ground beetle that feeds on both plant and animal foods.

Breeding

Ground beetles live by the standards of insects for a relatively long time - at least three years. To become an adult, a future individual undergoes several stages: an egg, a larva, a pupa, and an adult.

One clutch contains more than fifty eggs, which the female lays in fertile soil. After two weeks, larvae appear having 6 claw-shaped legs. After 10 hours, their white surface acquires a purple-black color. After two days, the larvae turn into small predators, becoming the owners of relatively powerful jaws. By the end of summer, they pupate and, after three weeks, form in young ground beetles.

About pests

Some species of ground beetle are pests. Damaging cultural plantings, they pose a serious threat to vegetable gardens and agricultural holdings. So a malicious group can be attributed ground beetle – black tarry specimen, whose body length does not exceed 1.5 cm. Answering the question of what ground beetles of this species eat, we note that their main delicacy is cereals.

On a note!

Giving preference to cereal crops, pests destroy huge areas of crops. They eat young leaves of winter crops, which prevents the further growth of plants. Their favorite delicacy is nectar and pollen of flowers.

The larvae of beetles do no less harm by eating milk juice of young grain. Wheat, rye and barley fields are particularly affected by pests. They will not refuse from corn and oats. Lack of cultural planting can even replace leeks.

After mating, the females lay eggs (up to 250 pieces can be in one laying), which are white in color, smooth surface and oval in shape. After three weeks, larvae appear from them. They live in the upper layer of soil; the leaves of various cereal crops serve as food for them. In the winter season, the larvae go to live underground, most often for winter crops. By mid-spring, they pupate, which takes about 20 days. Then they become sexually mature individuals.

About predators

Especially common on the territory of our country is common, forest or as it is also called garden ground beetle, the description of which is slightly different from the previous individual:

• represents a mustachioed insect, the body length of which reaches up to 3 cm;
• the beetle has a dark graphite or brown color with a metallic sheen;
• in the flap area there are elongated grooves with golden impregnations.

A predatory insect possesses powerful sickle-shaped jaws and sufficiently developed legs, which allows it to move quickly in search of food. It is these features that distinguish beneficial insects from pests: they have shorter legs and slightly protruding mandibles. Yes, and entomophages (useful beetles) are larger insects.

Beetles go hunting at night, during the day they try to hide in shelters under the bark of trees, fallen leaves or stones. Various pests of the garden and garden can become their victims: slugs, snails, caterpillars, as well as their larvae.

Having noticed a suitable prey, the predator attacks it, glaring at its jaws. After which the beetle injects a special liquid. Thanks to it, the prey tissue dissolves, turning into a semi-liquid mass. In this form, the beetle eats its prey.

Ground beetles, the larva is no less active predator, one can even say the other way round, it has much more appetite. It has a worm-like appearance. Moves with the help of three pairs of very long chest legs. Young offspring live in the upper layers of the soil, turning into full-fledged beetles by autumn.

Adult individuals of any type of predator live in the upper layer of soil or on its surface. Insects are adapted to various conditions. The life expectancy of this species of beetles is from 3 to 5 years. During this period, insects mate several times.

Given that one ground beetle insect over the summer destroys more than three hundred pests, the benefits brought by garden bugs are simply invaluable.

On a note!

Do not take the bug with your hands, as it has a protective mechanism.The insect strikes its offender with a jet of a specific smelling liquid.

About mixed beetles

Representatives of this group are no less numerous than the above species of ground beetle. Such beetles consume both plant foods and animals. A prominent representative of the mixed type group is millet ground beetle. In the absence of green space, it feeds as a predator, with the growth of crops it becomes a phytophage.