Family Carabidae - Ground Beetles (original) (raw)

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Adephaga

Family Carabidae (Ground Beetles)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Cicindelinae (tiger beetles) used to be treated as a separate family; some workers treat Rhysodidae as part of Carabidae

Numbers

By far the largest family of Adephaga and one of the largest insect families, with ~34,000 spp. in 23 subfamilies and 110 tribes worldwide and ~2,440 spp. (incl. 64 adventive spp.) in almost 200 genera (50 tribes, 15 subfamilies) in our area(1)

Overview of our faunaTaxa not yet in the guide: (*) native, (٭‎) non-native; classification follows (1)(2)

Family CARABIDAE

Identification

Keys:

North American genera (3)

Canada & Alaska in (4) (profusely illustrated, covers most species across n. US)

Northeastern North America(5)

SC(6) (useful for much of the se. US)

PNW(7) (outdated; fine habitus drawings)

Online galleries: New World(8) • World(9) • Europe(10) gives a good idea of Holarctic carabid diversity at a glance.

Larvae: Carabidae vs Staphylinidae: "you can tell carabids from staphs because the former have 6-segmented legs and often 2 claws, while staphs have only 5-segmented legs and always only 1 claw. Also, nearly all carabids have the urgomphi solidly attached to segment 9 (no joint at the base), and at least some of the ones that do have them articulated basally have more than 2 segments, which staphs never have. Staphs almost always have the urogomphi articulated and they have only one or two segments; the ones with solid urogomphi are all little guys (including pselaphines) and quite different in form from carabid larvae." (Margaret Thayer, pers. comm. to Jim McClarin; also comment here)

Sexing: Male protatrsi usually dilated and have hairy pads beneath. If not, look for other clues. Scarites is an example of genera without obvious sexual dimorphism.

Range

Worldwide

Adventive elements of Canadian fauna reviewed in (11)

State/provincial records not covered by (1) are listed in a Forum(12); please submit there new records and taxonomic changes that affect our fauna.

Habitat

All terrestrial habitats

Food

Most adults rapidly pursue their prey (other insects) at night. A few eat pollen, berries, and seeds. Most larvae are predators, but some are herbivores or parasitoids.

Works Cited

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Robin McLeod, Phillip Harpootlian, McClarinJ, Christopher C Wirth, Bbarnd, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Tim Moyer, Peter Messer, t.loh, v belov, Abigail Parker, Thrasher
Last updated 27 December, 2024 - 11:05pm