How to Identify Carabidae

Carabidae is a animal family in the Animalia kingdom, order Coleoptera, class Insecta. The family contains 524 accepted species worldwide.

Key Identification Features

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Representative Carabidae Species

How to identify Cylindera terricola (Say, 1824)

Cylindera terricola (Say, 1824)

Cylindera terricola (Say, 1824)

Cylindera terricola, the variable tiger beetle, is a North American flashy tiger…

How to identify Poecilus lucublandus (Say, 1823)

Poecilus lucublandus (Say, 1823)

Poecilus lucublandus (Say, 1823)

Poecilus lucublandus is a species of woodland ground beetle in the Carabidae fam…

How to identify Cicindela maritima Dejean, 1822

Cicindela maritima Dejean, 1822

Cicindela maritima Dejean, 1822

Cicindela maritima Dejean, 1822 is a 12-15 mm medium-sized ground beetle native …

How to identify Bembidion impotens Casey, 1918

Bembidion impotens Casey, 1918

Bembidion impotens Casey, 1918

Bembidion impotens is a ground beetle species in the Carabidae family found in N…

How to identify Clivina fossor (Linnaeus, 1758)

Clivina fossor (Linnaeus, 1758)

Clivina fossor (Linnaeus, 1758)

Clivina fossor is a ground beetle species in Scaritinae, described by Carl Linna…

How to identify Notiophilus sylvaticus Eschscholtz, 1833

Notiophilus sylvaticus Eschscholtz, 1833

Notiophilus sylvaticus Eschscholtz, 1833

Notiophilus sylvaticus, the forest big-eyed beetle, is a wing-dimorphic ground b…

How to identify Stenolophus lineola (Fabricius, 1775)

Stenolophus lineola (Fabricius, 1775)

Stenolophus lineola (Fabricius, 1775)

Stenolophus lineola is a ground beetle species in the Carabidae family found in …

How to identify Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer, 1774)

Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer, 1774)

Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer, 1774)

Harpalus pensylvanicus, the Pennsylvania ground beetle, is a common North Americ…

How to identify Platynus assimilis (Paykull, 1790)

Platynus assimilis (Paykull, 1790)

Platynus assimilis (Paykull, 1790)

Platynus assimilis is a common predatory ground beetle found across Europe and e…

How to identify Cicindela fulgida Say, 1823

Cicindela fulgida Say, 1823

Cicindela fulgida Say, 1823

Cicindela fulgida, the crimson saltflat or shiny tiger beetle, is a flashy tiger…

How to identify Anthia sexguttata (Fabricius, 1775)

Anthia sexguttata (Fabricius, 1775)

Anthia sexguttata (Fabricius, 1775)

The six-spot ground beetle Anthia sexguttata is a predatory carabid beetle found…

How to identify Carabus vietinghoffii M.Adams, 1812

Carabus vietinghoffii M.Adams, 1812

Carabus vietinghoffii M.Adams, 1812

Carabus vietinghoffii is a ground beetle species from the Carabidae family found…

Browse all 524 Carabidae species →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you identify Carabidae?

Carabidae animals belong to the Coleoptera order in the Animalia kingdom. Adult Harpalus pensylvanicus are shiny black on their upper surface and reddish brown on their underside, with distinct lines along their elytra. For instant identification, use the iNature app — AI-powered and works offline.

What are the key characteristics of Carabidae?

Carabidae is classified in the order Coleoptera, class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda. sexguttata show changes in sensitivity that follow a distinct circadian rhythm, and the two eyes become coupled when kept in total darkness.

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia · Disclaimer

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