Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player
 

  • Nederlands
  • Deutsch
Search in the Encyclopedia

Dieren en planten

Winged insects   Beetles   Ground beetles   Whirligig beetles   Water tiger   Ladybug   Scarab beetles   

Water en land

Landforms   Coastal areas   Beaches   Biotope   Dune areas   Dunes (biotope)   
  • Dut: Loopkever (schallebijter)
  • Lat: Carabidae
  • Eng: Ground beetle
  • Ger: Laufkäfer
print print
Ground beetle, Foto Fitis, www.fotofitis.nl

Ground beetles

Ground beetles are fast walking, long-legged predator beetles with powerful jaws. Even the larvae are made for hunting. They are usually black or brown; some have a metallic shine. Most ground beetles live in passageways under the ground. Above ground, they hunt insects, such as ants, spiders, snails and worms. Ground beetles cannot fly because the wings under the wing shields have fused together. More than 400 species of ground beetles are found in the Netherlands.