Beetles are the most species-rich order of animals on Earth, comprising nearly 400,000 described species — roughly 40% of all insects and 25% of all known animal species. The ground beetle Carabus coriaceus is among the largest European ground beetles, a voracious nocturnal predator that hunts earthworms, slugs, and other invertebrates under forest floor debris. Beetles occupy almost every ecological niche except marine open water, and their hard elytra (wing covers) are one of evolution’s most successful inventions.
About the Beetle
Carabus coriaceus
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💡 Fun Facts
01
There are more species of beetle than any other animal order — biologist J.B.S. Haldane quipped God has 'an inordinate fondness for beetles.'
02
The Goliath beetle of Africa is one of the heaviest flying insects, weighing up to 100 g.
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Bombardier beetles mix chemicals in their abdomen to fire a boiling 100°C spray at attackers.
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Dung beetles navigate using the Milky Way — the only animal proven to use the galaxy for orientation.
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The elytra (hardened wing covers) of some beetles are so structurally colored that the pigment never fades, even in museum specimens hundreds of years old.
📍 Where to Find This Animal
Habitat Types:
Forests, Grasslands, Soil
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