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.