European Ground Beetle
Description
3/4-1". Dull black with glossy head; elytra or gtreenish bronze. Pronotu has iridescent violet ridges around front and sides. Each elytron has 3 rows of pits.
Habitat
Gardens and open woods on sandy soil.
Range
Atlantic Coast to New Jersey, west to Wisconsin; also Oregon to British Columbia.
Food
Caterpillars and other soft insects, sometimes earthworms.
Life Cycle
Eggs are dropped one at time under debris in spring. Larvae may grow 2 years before pupating in late summer. Adults emerge in fall, living 2 years.
Other
 A beneficial insect, this beetle destroys cutworms. The Pinewoods Ground Beetle, 3/4-1", is black with violet on the edges of its pronotum and elytra, which have 3 rows of rectangular tubercles separated by rows of small pits. Found beneath logs and stones in wooded areas, this species ranges from Georgia through the Gulf states to New Mexico, north to British Columbia.
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