Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal species; new species are discovered frequently, with estimates suggesting that there are between 0.9 and 2.1 million total species. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops. Some others also have unique characteristics, such as the common eastern firefly, which uses a light-emitting organ for mating and communication purposes
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe. As of 2015, it is one of the 10 most species-rich animal families. They belong to the Adephaga. Members of the family are primarily carnivorous, but some members are herbivorous or omnivorous.
The Adephaga are a suborder of beetles, and with more than 40,000 recorded species in 10 families, the second-largest of the four beetle suborders. Members of this suborder are collectively known as adephagans. The largest family is Carabidae which comprises most of the suborder with over 40,000 species. Adephaga also includes a variety of aquatic beetles, such as predaceous diving beetles and whirligig beetles.
Harpalinae is the largest subfamily of ground beetles, containing more than 19,000 species worldwide.
The grove snail, brown-lipped snail or lemon snail is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc.
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.
Deroceras reticulatum, common names the "grey field slug", "grey garden slug", and "milky slug", is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae. This species is an important agricultural pest.
Mecodema oconnori is a large-bodied species of ground beetle that is found mainly on the western regions of the North Island, New Zealand. It is mainly found in native forest habitats, both intact and fragmented, and on the edges of pine plantations. Mecodema oconnori ranges from Otaki, Kapiti Coast to Raglan, but is also found in the Manawatu Gorge and some other eastern localities.
Carabus granulatus is a species of beetle. It is found across the Palearctic from Ireland to the Russian Far East and has been introduced to North America. It is widespread in Europe. C. granulatus lives in fields, prairies, taiga and in forests. Also along river margins, in fens, lakeshores, and upland peat. It is occasional in gardens.
Carabus ulrichii is a species of ground beetle from the family Carabidae originating from the Central Hungarian Basin and found in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Luxembourg, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and all of the republics of the former Yugoslavia. They are coloured black, with a green pronotum. The species formation happened in Pleistocene.
Nebria brevicollis, belonging to the Carabidae family, is a ground beetle. With nearly 500 species and over 100 subspecies, N. brevicollis is the most diverse genus within the Nebriini tribe of ground beetles. Members of the genus occupy a wide range of habitats. Nebria brevicollis is native to Europe and the Near East but has been introduced to the western United States and Canada. Its rapid expansion in North America is characteristic of an invasive species. Due to the variation in habitat, their diet consists of small arthropods including Collembola, Diptera, earthworms, mites, and spiders.
Broscus cephalotes is a species of nocturnal, coastal ground beetle found throughout most of Europe. Its range spans from western Europe into western Siberia. The species was introduced recently in the eastern areas of Canada and has spread farther south and west into the United States. As a member of the family Carabidae, Broscus cephalotes is generally considered beneficial to humans due to its predatory habits. Their varied diet often includes crop pests and other small organisms.
Carabus insulicola is a species of black-colored beetle from the family Carabidae native to Japan. They are also known as ground beetles, and are oval shaped and elongated. They are black with a green metallic hue and vertical stripes running down their backs. The length of a fully grown beetle ranges from 27 to 31 mm. They have three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings. The outer wings are greatly degenerated, making them unable to fly. However, their relatively long legs allow them to walk and run fast. They have prominent mandibles that allow them to capture and eat prey.
Megadromus antarcticus, also known as the “Alexander beetle”, is a member of the Carabidae family and only found in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Megadromus antarcticus are easily recognized by their iridescent green colouration.
Anthocoris nemoralis is a true bug in the family Anthocoridae. The species is native to Europe and is introduced in North America. It is a predator of aphids, spider mites and jumping plant lice, and is therefore used as a biological pest control agent.
Pterostichus melanarius, the Rain Beetle, is a type of carabid of the genus Coleoptera. It is native to Europe but is increasingly found in North America after being introduced to the region in the 1920s. It is a predatory beetle that eats invertebrate pests, which makes it a valuable pest control agent in agricultural settings. Additionally, the beetle has wing dimorphism which has contributed to its increasing distribution across North America.
Anisodactylus binotatus is a species of ground beetle native to Europe. It was discovered as being introduced to Canterbury, New Zealand in 1938. Anisodactylus binotatus is a species of Carabidae, also known as the ground beetle family. Although this species of beetle has no official recorded common names, literature from England refers to it as the common shortspur beetle.
Listronotus oregonensis, the carrot weevil, is a species of weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America.
The Calleida viridipennis is a species of ground beetle belonging to the Carabidae family, and are referred to as carabid beetles. It is found in various states, including New York, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Florida. Habitat preferences include forests and swamps. C. virdipennis is a particular carabid beetle that is, on average, 10 mm long. Recognizable by a green-black metallic exoskeleton, it has a trapezoidal head shape. Its large eyes are also characteristic of the species. Below the exoskeleton reside functional wings, giving the beetle flight capacity.
Carl Hildebrand Lindroth was a Swedish entomologist and a professor at Lund University. He was a specialist in carabidology, with a special interest in biogeography. He was a strong proponent of the glacial refugium hypothesis and made use of the framework to explain the distribution patterns of Scandinavian beetles.
