How do they look?

Carabidae beetles are one of the largest ground beetle families, with around 310 species in Latvia. Great ground beetle is the largest ground beetle in Latvia, featuring a matte, black color with a violet tint along the edges of its wings.

Where do they live?

They live in forests, clearings, and meadows. These are nocturnal insects - during the day, they hide in soil crevices, under fallen leaves, and among trees, only emerging at night for hunting.

What do they eat?

Ground beetles regulate the population of various forest pests such as sawflies, pine processionary moths, and others. They can also eliminate the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle. However, some species within the ground beetle family are herbivorous. Both the larvae and adult ground beetles are predatory.

Interesting and important facts

The most colorful ground beetle is the violet ground beetle, which is brightly green with golden-red wing margins. Both violet ground beetles and great ground beetles are especially protected species.

Information sources: Wikipedia, Kreslina L. ‘Insects in Latvia’

Photo: pixabay.com, redzet.eu