Overview
Comprehensive Description
Description
Locality: Introduced from Europe. Palearctic; USA- CT, MA, ME, NH, VT.
Common Name: Aurora Borealis Worm & Slug Hunter
Synonyms: Carabus auratus Linne, 1761
Notes: This species is a late introduction from Europe and has become established in the coastal districts of New England and inland to Vermont
© Erwin, Terry
Source:
Western Hemisphere Caraboidea
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Biology
Macrohabitat: Lowlands, 4-355 meters altitude. Microhabitat: On warm, open preferably loamy ground in Europe, such as cultivated fields (e.g., hay, bean), meadows, pastures, gardens, parks, roadsides. Dispersal abilities: Brachypterous, hence flightless thus vagility limited to walking or running. Seasonal occurrence: Adults have been found in April- July, and November. Behavior: Mostly diurnal, active in the sunshine. Adults found overwintering in the ground in Europe. Life span is several years, at least in captivity. Adults are predaceous on earthworms, caterpillars, insects, mollusks, and they also feed on carrion and vegetal matter in Europe. They are spring breeders. Very effective as a colonist. (Erwin, 2001; Larochelle & Lariviere, 2003; Lindroth, 1961 & 1985; Data from NMNH collection)
© Erwin, Terry
Source:
Western Hemisphere Caraboidea
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Carabus auratus
Public Records: 0
Species: 7
Species With Barcodes: 1
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
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Wikipedia
Carabus auratus
Carabus auratus, the golden ground beetle, is a member of the family Carabidae, or ground beetles, native to central and western parts of Europe.
Description
The flightless beetle reaches a body length of between 1.7 and 2 cm. The elytra, each marked with three broad longitudinal grooves, are an iridescent gold-green colour, as are the head and thorax. The legs, antennae and mouth parts are orange.
Carabus auratus is to be found in fields and amongst bushes, particularly on loamy soil. On occasion it will climb into trees. Active during the day, it preys upon insects, snails and worms, which it seizes with its mandibles and sprays with a digestive secretion before consuming it. Carabus auratus can be welcome to farmers and gardeners, as it will feed upon pests such as the Colorado potato beetle.
The larvae hunt only at dawn. They moult three times before pupating in the soil and then emerging as adults in the autumn. The life expectancy is around two years; the beetle overwintering under the shelter of stones or moss.
References
- This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.
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Wikipedia
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