Animal Corner

Discover the many amazing animals that live on our planet.

  • Home
  • A-Z Animals
  • Anatomy
  • Glossary
  • Animal Lists
    • Animal By Letter
    • Animals by Location
    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
  • Free Resources
    • Animal Coloring Pages
    • Animal Jokes
    • Animal Quizzes
  • Pets
    • Dog Breeds
    • Rabbit Breeds
    • Cat Breeds
    • Pet Rodents
    • Animal Care
  • Blog
You are here: Home / Animals / Ground Beetle

Ground Beetle

Image Source

Ground Beetles belong to the family Carabidae. This family of beetles is a large family, with more than 20,000 species worldwide (approximately 2,200 of which reside in North America). Most species of Ground Beetle are carnivorous, and some will run swiftly to catch their prey. Although there is some variation in their body shape and coloring, most are shiny, black (some are metallic) and have ridged elytra (wing covers).

Ground beetles in the genus ‘Brachinus’ are commonly known as ‘Bombardier Beetles’ (more than 500 species altogether). Ground Beetles are known for their defensive ability to squirt a jet of hot foul-smelling liquid from their abdomens.

Ground beetles in the subfamily ‘Cicindelinae’ are known as ‘Tiger Beetles’. Unlike most of the other species of Carabidae, which are nocturnal, the Tiger Beetles are active diurnal hunters and are often brightly colored.

All species except the more primitive ‘Paussinae’, have a groove on their front tibiae (leg) bearing a comb of hairs which is used for cleaning their antennae. Common habitats are under the bark of trees, under logs, or amongst rocks or sand by the edge of ponds and rivers.

Ground beetles of the species ‘Promecognathus laevissimus’ are specialised predators of the millipede (Harpaphe haydeniana) a millipede found in the moist forests along the Pacific coast of North America, countering the hydrogen cyanide (a colorless, very poisonous and highly volatile liquid that boils slightly above room temperature at 26 °C ) defence mechanism used by the millipede.

Ground beetles in the subfamily ‘Mormolycinae’ are known as ‘Violin Beetles’. Violin Beetles are carnivorous and use their elongated heads to search crevices for small larvae. Their larvae have been found living in tunnels in the large bracket fungi that are common in the humid forests of Malaysia. Violin beetles have a very flat or depressed body form and are found in soil cracks, under bark, or in the axils of bromeliads. The flattened form allows the beetles to move more freely below the soil, subcortical space, or between oppressed leaf sheaths.

The violin beetles common name comes from the fact that their outline resembles the musical instrument. The beetles are 10 centimetres (4 inches) long and have large, flat, translucent expansions on each side of the body. These expansions are projections of the wing covers or elytra.

The most effective method of controlling this particular pest is to spray entrances such as windows, doors and skirting boards with a repellent known as ‘cypetmethrin’. The beauty of this insecticide is that it is not really harmful to humans or household pets and ground beetles hate it with a passion.

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About

  • Atlas Beetle
  • spotted beetle
    Spotted Beetle
  • Milkweed Beetle
  • blister beetle
    Blister Beetle
  • Christmas Beetle
  • Long Horned Beetle

About Joanne Spencer

I've always been passionate about animals which led me to a career in training and behaviour. As an animal professional I'm committed to improving relationships between people and animals to bring them more happiness.

Animal Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Coleoptera
Suborder:Adephaga
(unranked):Geadephaga
Superfamily:Caraboidea
Family:Carabidae

Search

Most Popular Animals

  • Zebras
  • Aquatic Warbler
  • Atlantic Dolphins
  • Trapdoor Spider
  • Giraffe
  • Meerkats
  • Timber Wolf
  • Praying Mantis
  • Huntsman Spider
  • Vampire Bat

Galapagos Islands

galapagos-islands

Animal Names Glossary

Animal Names

British Wildlife

british-wildlife

Mammals

anatomy

Dog Breeds

dog breeds

Farm Animals

Farm Animals

Best of the Blog

  • 21 Amazing Animals that live in Lakes
  • What are the Fastest Animals in the World?
  • 31 Animals with Weird and Funny Sounding Names
  • Top 15 Deadliest Animals in the World
  • Ophiophagy – Examples of animals that eat snakes
  • List of Fascinating Solitary Animals

Copyright © 2005-2022 · Animal Corner · All Rights Reserved · Affiliate Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Animals Sitemap . About Us

AnimalCorner.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.