Ground beetles
Ground beetles (carabids) are a large and successful family of beetles, with over 40,000 described species including the tiger and bombardier beetles. They are usually black or metallic coloured with ridged wing cases. Found worldwide, they inhabit ground vegetation, rocks, crevices and the underside of logs and tree bark. The defensive secretions of some of the beetles in this family are so toxic they can injure small animals.
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Ant acid 
Predator or prey? Featured in the following TV programmes
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Catch Up
Life: Insects
Super-slow motion shows a bombardier beetle firing boiling liquid at its enemies.
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Archived
Life in the Undergrowth: INTIMATE RELATIONS
Ever since they came onto land, the tiny creatures of the undergrowth have been forming alliances and partnerships with each other and with plants.
About
Ground beetles or carabids are collective terms for the beetle family Carabidae. This is a large family, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, approximately 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe.
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Featured in...
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The wildlife of Life
In autumn 2009, a major new series brought us life as we've never seen it before.
Scientific Classification
Phylum: Arthropod (Arthropoda)
Family: Ground beetle (Carabidae)
Other Coleoptera
- Bess beetles (Passalidae)
- Dytiscidae (species: Great diving beetle)
- Ladybirds (Coccinellidae)
- Scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae)
- Silphidae (genus: Sexton beetles)
Elsewhere on the web
- Carabidae (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu)
- Ground beetle identification, images, & information (bugguide.net)
- Carabidae on the Tree of Life (tolweb.org)
- Carabidae family tree (carabidae.ru)
- Ground beetle (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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