Common Name: Ground beetle
Scientific Name: Carabidae: spp
Status: Beneficial predatory insects
Beneficial Stage: Adults and immatures are predators

Biology: Although there is considerable variation in body shape and coloring, most ground beetles are shiny, black, and have ridged wing covers. They range from very small to large, are somewhat flattened, and have narrow heads.

Females lay their eggs in the soil. After hatching, the larvae feed and grow for one to two years and pupate in small chambers made of soil. Many species spend the winter in these chambers and the adults emerge in the spring.

Value: Ground beetles are very common and are often mistaken as pests. In truth, these are active predators on other potential pests that occur in or on the soil. Ground beetles may not be used as biological control agents by themselves, primarily because they are generalist feeders. However, in concert with other biological and cultural controls, they are valuable, naturally occurring beneficials.