Carabidae
More than 350 spp. 2-30mm. Antennae 11 segmented, filiform, inserted laterally between eyes and mandibles, variously setose and pubescent. Tarsi 5-5-5, usually simple although male often with protarsi dilated basally (but see Demetrias.) Head, thorax and elytra usually with discrete sensory setae. Hind trochanters are always large and project backwards behind the femurs, a character easily seen even with a card mounted specimen.     A careful count of tarsal segments will eliminate most species likely to be confused with Carabids. Omaliine Staphylinids, where the elytra almost cover the abdomen and may do so completely in carded specimens, possess distinct ocelli.     Pterostichus madidus (Fab.), very likely to be encountered almost immediately by anybody embarking upon a study of Coleoptera, is as typical a Carabid as any. Some idea of the range of variation is given below but there also specialised forms e.g. Omophron, Cicindela and Calosoma.     Found in most situations; arable land and pasture, moors and heaths, many species under bark and logs in woodland and often huge numbers among waterside vegetation. At least two species, Oodes helopoides and Carabus clathratus live underwater among vegetation. Pitfall trapping is usually very productive, searching parkland pathways with a torch on warm spring and summer evenings can reveal large numbers. M.V. light on a vertical sheet and interception nets often give good results.     For an excellent discussion of Carabid biology and ecology see Forsythe, 2000
Omophroninae
Our only species, Omophron limbatum Fab. (5-6mm) is quite unlike any other carabid; a medium sized yellowish brown beetle with metallic green markings to pronotum and elytra, almost circular and with the scutellum hidden by the basal margin of the pronotum. First recorded from Rye harbour, Sussex in 1969 (Farrow, 1971), it is now a very local insect of flooded gravel pit margins around the Sussex and Kent borders, Norfolk and Suffolk. Farrow, R.A. and Lewis, E.S. 1971 Ent.Mon.Mag. (1970) 106:219-221 Images
Cicindelinae
Commonly known as Tiger beetles our five species are all of distinctive appearance; medium sized (9-18mm) metallic species with long slender legs, large eyes and long, toothed mandibles which are crossed when at rest. Unique among carabids in having the antennae inserted on the upper surface of the head within the base of the mandibles. Identified by its elongate pronotum, Cylindera germanica L. is a local coastal species of Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The species rarely flies. Our four species of Cicindela run fast and fly readily in pursuit of prey. Only C. campestris L. is at all widespread. Images
Brachininae
Commonly known as Bombardier beetles due to their specialised defence mechanism; they are able to direct a spray of corrosive liquid and vapour from the abdomen towards a potential threat. Although charcterised by the number of visible abdominal sternites, seven in the female and eight in the male as opposed to six in the carabininae, they are readily recognised on general appearance. Brachinus crepitans (L.) (6-9mm), our only resident species, is light reddish brown but for the dark metallic blue or green elytra and has the entire upper surface finely pubescent. It is a very local insect of grassland and open wasteland throughout southern England and southern Wales. Our other species, B.sclopeta (Fab.), is a very occasional immigrant with recent records (2005) from the London area. It is smaller than crepitans with the base of the elytral suture broadly red. Images
Carabininae
Carabininae includes the vast majority of our species and is divided into a number of tribes
Carabiini
Cychrini
Nebriini
Notiophilini
Elaphrini
Loricerini
Scaritini and Broscini
Two tribes of carabids have an unusual 'pedunculate' body form where the pronotum and elytra are separated by a 'waist' upon which the scutellum is placed. Members of the Scaratini have fossorial front tibiae while in our two species of Broscini they are unmodified. Broscus cephalotes (L.)(17-22mm) is a widespread and sometimes abundant maritime species while Miscodera arctica (Pk.)(6.5-8mm) is an upland species of southwest England, Wales, nortern England and Scotland. Scaratini includes two British genera, Clivina (5-6.8mm) and Dyschirius. Eleven species of Dyschirius occur in Britain, mostly smaller than Clivina and separated by the form of the last elytral interstice, in Clivina it is punctured along its length, in Dyschirius it is mostly smooth. Many are local insects of wetland and saltmarshes, most have very resticted distribution and several are associated with species of Bledius (Staphylinidae). Images
Trechini
Bembidiini
Pogonini
Patrobini
Pterostichini
Sphodrini
Platynini
Zabrini
Harpalini
Chlaenini
Oodini
Licinini
Panagaeini
Perigonini
Masoreini
Lebiini
Odacanthini
Dryptini
Zuphiini
Omophroninae
Omophron limbatum
Cicindelinae
Cicindela campestris
Cylindera germanica	Cylindera germanica
Brachininae
Brachinus
Carabiini
Carabus granulatus
Carabus nemoralis	Carabus nemoralis
Carabus problematicus
Carabus violaceus	Carabus violaceus
Cychrini
Cychrus caraboides	Cychrus caraboides	Cychrus caraboides
Nebriini
Leistus fulvibarbis	Leistus spinibarbis
Nebria brevicollis	Nebria brevicollis	Nebria brevicollis	Nebria brevicollis
Nebria salina
Notiophilini
Notiophilus aesthuans
Notiophilus aquaticus
Notiophilus biguttatus	Notiophilus biguttatus	Notiophilus biguttatus	Notiophilus biguttatus	Notiophilus biguttatus
Notiophilus germinyi
Notiophilus palustris	Notiophilus palustris
Notiophilus quadripunctatus
Notiophilus rufipes
Notiophilus substriatus
Elaphrini
Elaphrus cupreus	Elaphrus cupreus	Elaphrus cupreus	Elaphrus cupreus	Elaphrus cupreus
Elaphrus lapponicus
Elaphrus riparius	Elaphrus riparius	Elaphrus riparius
Elaphrus uliginosus
Loricerini
Loricera pilicornis	Loricera pilicornis	Loricera pilicornis	Loricera pilicornis
Scaritini
Clivina fossor	Clivina fossor	Clivina fossor
Broscini
Broscus
Trechini
Trechus quadristriatus	Trechus quadristriatus
Perileptus	Thalassophilus
Bembidiini
Asaphidion curtum	Asaphidion curtum
Bembidion articulatum	Bembidion articulatum	Bembidion articulatum
Bembidion biguttatum	Bembidion biguttatum	Bembidion biguttatum
Bembidion dentellum	Bembidion dentellum	Bembidion dentellum	Bembidion dentellum	Bembidion dentellum
Bembidion doris
Bembidion guttula
Bembidion lampros	Bembidion lampros	Bembidion lampros
Bembidion lunulatum	Bembidion lunulatum	Bembidion lunulatum
Bembidion obtusum
Bembidion quadrimaculatum
Bembidion tetracolum	Bembidion tetracolum	Bembidion tetracolum	Bembidion tetracolum
Bembidion varium
Ocys harpaloides	Ocys harpaloides	Ocys harpaloides
Pogonini
Pogonus
Patrobini
Patrobus atrorufus
Pterostichini
Abax parallelepipedus	Abax parallelepipedus	Poecilus cupreus	Poecilus cupreus	Poecilus versicolor
Pterostichus cristatus
Pterostichus madidus	Pterostichus madidus	Pterostichus madidus	Pterostichus madidus	Pterostichus madidus
Pterostichus melanarius	Pterostichus melanarius
Pterostichus minor
Pterostichus niger	Pterostichus niger	Pterostichus niger	Pterostichus niger	Pterostichus niger
Pterostichus nigrita	Pterostichus nigrita	Pterostichus nigrita
Pterostichus oblongopunctatus
Pterostichus strenuus
Stomis pumicatus
Sphodrini
Calathus fuscipes	Calathus fuscipes	Calathus fuscipes	Calathus fuscipes	Calathus fuscipes
Calathus melanocephalus
Calathus rotundicollis	Calathus rotundicollis	Calathus rotundicollis	Calathus rotundicollis
Platyderus depressus
Platynini
Agonum marginatum	Agonum muelleri
Agonum thoreyi	Agonum thoreyi	Agonum thoreyi
Anchomenus dorsalis
Paranchus albipes	Paranchus albipes	Paranchus albipes	Paranchus albipes
Platynus assimilis
Zabrini
Amara aenea	Amara aenea	Amara aenea	Amara aenea	Amara aenea
Amara apricaria
Amara bifrons	Amara bifrons	Amara bifrons
Amara communis	Amara communis
Amara convexior	Amara convexior
Amara familiaris
Amara lunicollis
Amara ovata
Amara plebeja	Amara plebeja	Amara plebeja	Amara plebeja	Amara plebeja
Amara similata
Curtonotus aulicus	Curtonotus aulicus
Zabrus tenebrioides
Harpalini
Acupalpus dubius	Acupalpus dubius
Acupalpus exiguus
Acupalpus meridianus	Acupalpus meridianus
Acupalpus parvulus
Anthracus consputus
Bradycellus verbasci
Harpalus affinis	Harpalus affinis	Harpalus affinis	Harpalus affinis	Harpalus affinis
Harpalus latus	Harpalus rubripes
Harpalus rufipes	Harpalus rufipes	Harpalus rufipes
Ophonus ardosiacus
Ophonus puncticeps	Ophonus puncticeps
Ophonus rufibarbis	Ophonus rufibarbis	Ophonus rufibarbis	Ophonus rufibarbis	Ophonus rufibarbis
Stenolophus mixtus	Trichocellus placidus
Chlaeniini
Chlaenius vestitus
Oodini
Oodes helopioides
Licinini
Badister bullatus
Panagaeini
Panagaeus bipustulatus
Perigonini
Masoreini
Lebiini
Demetrias atricapillus	Demetrias atricapillus	Demetrias atricapillus
Dromius quadrimaculatus	Dromius quadrimaculatus	Dromius quadrimaculatus
Lebia chlorocephala
Microlestes minutulus
Paradromius linearis
Syntomus foveatus	Syntomus foveatus	Syntomus foveatus
Syntomus obscuroguttatus	Syntomus obscuroguttatus	Syntomus obscuroguttatus
Odacanthini
Odacantha
Dryptini
Zuphiini
Home