large beetle identified
Location: Pickering Ontario Canada
April 27, 2011 12:41 pm
Hi, I sent you a photo yesterday of a large blackish beetle with blue ”trim” that I thought might be a carrion beetle. I think I’ve now identified it as a European Ground Beetle, carabus nemoralis, and have been delighted to learn that it is a voracious eater of snails and slugs (and less happily, worms). I’ve since found several more of these big beetles in my garden, so perhaps I’ll be slug-free this year. How common is this beetle in southern-central Ontario? I’m just east of Toronto. Thanks!
Signature: Pat V.
Hi Pat,
Your letter arrived when we were out of the office on holiday, and this followup email arrived just as we returned to a very full mailbox. Alas, we are not able to respond to all the mail we received, but we are thrilled that you self identified your mating European Ground Beetles and we love your photograph. BugGuide has a nice information page on the European Ground Beetle.