Stats

Lifespan

1-4 years

Size

Medium

Diet

Insectivore

Activity

Nocturnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

Worldwide

Movement

Running

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Toxins

Status

Common

About

Ground beetles are fast-moving insects that dwell under stones and leaf litter. They spray a boiling, acidic chemical mist from their abdomens to repel predators.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Carabidae