The Carabidae family contains over 40,000 ground beetle and tiger beetle species found worldwide except Antarctica. They are mostly predatory insects that prey on small animals. Carabid beetles have complete metamorphosis from egg to adult and some have unique parasitic life cycles. They are found in various habitats under bark, logs, rocks, sand, and near water. The family contains over 20 subfamilies with diverse adaptations like chemical defenses. Tiger beetles are diurnal unlike most nocturnal carabid beetles.

1. CARABIDAE
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PALB 8141Nikita Negi, UAs Bengaluru 1

2. CARABIDAE
Classification
 Kingdom : Animalia
 Phylum: Arthropoda
 Subphylum : Hexapoda
 Class : Insecta
 Order: Coleoptera
 Suborder: Adephaga
 Family: Carabidae Nikita Negi, UAs Bengaluru 2

3. • The family Carabidae (ground-beetles and tiger beetles) is composed of over
40,000 species distributed in almost every part of the world except Antarctica,
Tasmania and smaller oceanic islands (Slipinski et al., 2011).
• These beetles are a group of mostly predatory insects, abundant in the field and
attract attention with their peculiar shape and coloration.
• They are mostly active at night
• Prey on a wide range of small animals such as other insects and spiders.
INTRODUCTION
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4. HISTORY
• Oldest name – spoliator which was used by medieval authors supposedly for calosoma
sycophanta
• 1522 -1605- U.Aldrovandi described Calosoma and Broscus cephalotes (De animalibus
insectis)
- Before acceptance of Binomial classification
• Cicindela was used for fire flies (Lampyridae)
• 1727-1810- Geofrroy treated ground beetles as Buprestis
• Name carabus was already used by C.von linn(1707-1778) Fauna seucica 1746 (1st edition)
• After acceptance of Binomial nomenclature (1758) “Systema Naturae” name was accepted
rapidly
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5. Conti…
• Linne described altogether 61 (or 62) carabid species
• Revised (Lindroth, 1957), mainly with the aid of specimens preserved in
his collection at the Linnean Society in London
Europe and the Circumpolar Area: Events and Personalities
-Carl H. LindrothNikita Negi, UAs Bengaluru 5

6. Identification character
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7. Swollen Trochanter
Supra-orbital hairs
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8. DIET
• Nearly all ground beetles prey on
other invertebrates
• Some Carabids are specialized
predators, feeding exclusively on one
type of prey.
• A few ground beetles feed on plants
or seeds, and others are omnivores
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9. Seed corn beetle
Clivina impressifrons
Stenolophus lecontei
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10. Scaphinotus feeding on snail Calosoma sycophanta
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11. Life cycle
• Complete metamorphosis
• The entire cycle, from egg to reaching reproductivity, takes a
full year in most species.
• lay eggs on the surface of the soil or cover their eggs with soil.
• In general, eggs take up to a week to hatch.
• Larvae go through 2-4 instars before reaching the pupal stage.
• Ground beetles which breed in the spring typically
overwinter as adults.
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12. Unique life cycle
• The variety of life history strategies in carabid
beetles includes Ectoparasitoidism
• Three of the 76 recognized tribes are known to
have parasitoid species:
• Brachinus (Brachinini),
• Pelecium(Peleciini)
• Lebia and Lebistina (both Lebiini) (Weber et.al
2008), but several related genera show tendencies
towards Parasitoidism (Erwin 1979; Frank et al.
2009) Nikita Negi, UAs Bengaluru 12

13. The life cycle of a typical carabid Ectoparasitoid includes
(i) A female depositing eggs in the host habitat when hosts are present
(ii) Mobile early instar larva searching for and attaching to a suitable host
(iii) After attachment, a short physogastric feeding phase, typically with rapid ingestion
(iv) A distinct pre-pupal “resting” phase during which the host is consumed
(v)Turned to pupa then adult
Carabid Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as Parasitoids
-Donald C. Weber., Pavel Saska., Caroline S. Chaboo
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14. Lebia grandis with its prepupal host, Colorado potato beetle
Carabid Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as Parasitoids
Pavel et.al 2008
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15. Habitat
Common habitats are
• under the bark of trees
• Under logs
• Among rocks
• Sand
• Edge of ponds
• Rivers.
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16. Anthiinae Apotominae
Brachininae
SUBFAMILIES
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17. Broscinae Carabinae
Cicindelinae
Rhysodinae
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18. Dryptinae
Elaphrinae
Harpalinae
Hiletinae.
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19. Lebiinae
Licininae Loricerinae
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20. Migadopinae
Nebriinae Omophron
Trechinae
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21. Orthogoniinae Panagaeinae PaussinaeSiagoninae
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22. Platyninae
Promecognathinae Pseudomorphinae
Psydrinae
Pterostichinae
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23. Special Adaptations and Defenses
• Many ground beetles employ chemical defense systems to
fend off attackers
• When handled or threatened, they use abdominal glands to
produce pungent odors.
• like the bombardier beetle make chemical compounds that
burn on contact.
• Chemical compound – Hydroquinone and hydrogen
peroxide
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24. FACTS
• Unlike most of the other species of Carabidae, which are nocturnal, the Tiger
Beetles (cicindelidae) are active diurnal
• All species except the more primitive ‘Paussinae’, have a groove on their front
tibiae (leg) used for cleaning their antennae
• Ground beetles of the species ‘Promecognathus laevissimus’ are specialised
predators of the millipede (Harpaphe haydeniana)
• The violin beetles common name comes from the fact that their outline resembles
the musical instrument.
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25. Promecognathus laevissimus
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26. VIOLIN BEETLE
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27. How long do they live?
Most species in this family mature in one year, and can live for 2-3yrs.
How do they interact with us?
This group of beetles is very important in controlling pests in the soil,
especially the larvae of other insects.
Do they cause problems?
A few species in this group attack seeds of corn as well as animal prey, but this
is usually a minor factor
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