Ground beetles - Carabidae

Nearly all Carabidae are predators. They are opportunistic and generalized hunters and will feed nearly on anything they can overpower. They will also feed on the eggs and pupa of other insects. Some are specialist feeders and feed on snails, collembolans or fly larvae.

Anthia thoracica (Bombardier beetle)

Ground beetles are important predators in all terrestrial ecosystems. Ground beetles are not only found on the ground, but also in ant’s nests and some spend their entire life in a bird’s nest. Adult carabids are long-lived and can reach an age of up to four years. The larvae are free-living predators with legs well developed for running or burrowing. Some of the carabids are specialist feeders on snails, springtails, larvae of flies and the eggs of mole crickets. Carabids rely on their speed and agility, but might bite when cornered. Most ground beetles are dull in colour, with white or yellow markings on the body.

Ground beetles are renowned for their fascinating chemical defence mechanisms. The Anthia and related genera are found throughout Africa and may be seen running about swiftly during the day. They cannot fly as their wing cases are firmly joined and the membranous wings beneath have disappeared. Fiece hunters with strong, sharp jaws, they can inflict a nasty bite on the hand of a careless collector.The main defence chemical of Anthia beetles is formic acid, which they can squirt up to 35 cm in any direction when threatened. the fluid can cause severe pain if it comes in contact with human skin, and more serious problems if it gets into the eye.

Some tiger beetles are very large, such as the male Mantichora sp. which, including the large mandibles, may reach 50 mm in lenght. The mandibles are throught to be used for holding the female when mating.