About

Beetles are insects. There are many different types. The one pictured is a ridged violet ground beetle from the ground beetle family. They are nocturnal, which means they mostly come out at night.

There is no specific name for male or female beetles. A baby beetle is called a larva. There is no specific name for a group of beetles.

Habitat

In the UK, the more common violet ground beetles are found in gardens, meadows and farmland, whilst the ridged version prefers woodland and heathland.

What does it need?

Violet ground beetles eat soft bodied prey such as larvae, worms, slugs, and snail.

What needs it?

The main predators of ground beetles are birds, but also frogs and small mammals like bats and rodents.

Through their diet, ground beetles are a useful form of pest control. They also help to control weeds by eating their seeds in the soil, reducing the need for herbicides to protect crops.

Fun fact!

Ground beetles evolved about 200 million years ago. In comparison, humans only evolved about 300,000 years ago.

See a video here, and learn more here!