ground beetle

beetleI found this beetle in the middle of the parking lot after a soccer game. I have identified it as Calosoma spp, a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. I am not certain of the species, but my guess would be Calosoma macrum. This genus of large ground beetles are also known as caterpillar hunters or searchers. Both adult and larvae stages are very active predators and they are commonly found in agricultural and garden settings. These beetles can produce a foul-smelling odor from glands near the tip of their abdomens. Most beetles in this genus are all black but some have metallic coloring as well. They are the largest beetles in this family. They have large, distinct thoraxes, nearly the size of their abdomens and wider than their heads. Many of the beetles in this family are nocturnal but adults rarely fly.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

Sources:

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/kyf304.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calosoma

 

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