| Carabus auratus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Carabus auratus with prey | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Carabidae |
| Genus: | Carabus |
| Species: | C. auratus |
| Binomial name | |
| Carabus auratus Linnaeus, 1761 | |
Carabus auratus, the golden ground beetle, is a species of ground beetle in the genus Carabus. This species is native to central and western Europe and has been introduced into North America. [1]
The flightless beetle reaches a body length between 1.7 and 2.0 cm. The elytra, each marked with three broad longitudinal grooves, are an iridescent gold-green colour, as are the head and thorax. The legs, antennae and mouth parts are orange.
C. auratus is found in fields and amongst bushes, particularly on loamy soil. On occasion, it climbs into trees. Active during the day, it preys upon insects, snails, and worms, which it seizes with its mandibles and sprays with a digestive secretion before consuming it. C. auratus can be welcome to farmers and gardeners, as it feeds upon pests such as the Colorado potato beetle.
The larvae hunt only at dawn. They moult three times before pupating in the soil and then emerging as adults in the autumn. The beetles' life expectancy is around two years; they overwinter under the shelter of stones or moss.
Pierre François Marie Auguste Dejean, was a French soldier and entomologist. Dejean described a large number of beetles in a series of catalogues.
Carabus cancellatus is a ground beetle common in Central- and Northern Europe and Siberia. It has also been introduced into North America. Its length is 17–32 millimetres (0.67–1.26 in).
Carabus is a genus of beetles in family Carabidae. The genus is highly diverse with 94 subgenera, 959 species and 2300 subspecies, thus is the largest genus in the subfamily Carabinae. The vast majority are native to the Palearctic, but 16 Nearctic species are also known. Carabus spp. are 12–50 mm (0.47–1.97 in) long, and most species are wingless and often very colourful. These are nocturnal, predatory beetles that feed on snails, earthworms, and caterpillars. Most Carabus species were thought to have inhabited the Eurasian forest, but the species' low dispersal abilities altered the distribution of lineages within the genus.
Carabus arcensis is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in the Palearctic.
Carabus auronitens is a species of beetle in family Carabidae which was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1792.
Carabus gigas is a species of beetles of the family Carabidae.
Carabus linnei is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in Europe.
Carabinae is a subfamily of ground beetles in the family Carabidae. There are about 10 genera and more than 1,400 described species in Carabinae.
Carabus solieri is a species of beetles of the family Carabidae.
Carabus faminii is a species of ground beetle in the Carabinae subfamily that is endemic to Sicily.
Carabus hemprichii is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.
Carabus italicus is a species of beetle from family Carabidae, found in Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland. The males could range from 22–23 millimetres (0.87–0.91 in) in length.
Carabus lefebvrei is a species of bluish-black coloured ground beetle in the Carabinae subfamily, that is endemic to Sicily.
Carabus rossii is a species of beetle from the family Carabidae, found in Italy. The species are brown-coloured with black pronotum.
Carabus rothii is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in Eastern Europe.
Carabus rutilans is a species of ground beetle in the Carabinae subfamily that can be found in Andorra, France, and Spain.
Carabus lefebvrei lefebvrei is a bluish-black-coloured subspecies of ground beetle in the Carabinae subfamily, that can be found in Italy and Sicily.
Chrysocarabus is a subgenus of beetle in family Carabidae.
Carabus sylvosus, the woodland ground beetle, is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in North America.