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Snail Eating Beetle I'm pretty clueless on this one. I'll probably turn to the BugGuide for an ID Geotagged,Narrow-collared Snail-eating Beetle,Scaphinotus angusticollis,United States Click/tap to enlarge PromotedSpecies introCountry intro

Snail Eating Beetle

I'm pretty clueless on this one. I'll probably turn to the BugGuide for an ID

    comments (5)

  1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
    Ferdy Christant
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Black and six legs, always a challenge :) Posted 10 years ago
  2. View WildFlower's profile
    WildFlower
    Lion
    View Lion class
    It is some kind of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae). From this angle I am not sure if it is this snail-killer carabid, Scaphinotus angusticollis, but it looks like a good match.
    http://www.dereilanatureinn.ca/woodlands/insect-mo/july2009.htm
    http://bugguide.net/node/view/234605/bgimage     Posted 10 years ago
    1. View morpheme's profile
      morpheme
      Lion
      View Lion class
      Nice - I have a top down view that's a dead on match. I poked through the beetles on bug guide, but there are so many I wasn't having a whole lot of luck. I'd say you nailed it. I guess we were fortunate to see it - the description says usually nocturnal, but the really heavy rain we had a few hours earlier may have forced him from his hiding place. Posted 10 years ago, modified 10 years ago
      1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
        Ferdy Christant
        Lion
        View Lion class
        Nice teamwork you two! This article sheds some light on its nocturnal behavior:
        http://crawford.tardigrade.net/bugs/BugofMonth29.html         Posted 10 years ago
        1. View morpheme's profile
          morpheme
          Lion
          View Lion class
          Sounds like I should have brought him home to protect my green beans :P. I had a huge slug population munching on them this year. Posted 10 years ago

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The Narrow-collared Snail-eating Beetle

Scaphinotus angusticollis is one of the more distinctive and attractive of the carabids, or ground beetles. It is common in forests, parks and gardens. The narrow head is an adaptation to eating snails from the shell. Like many ground beetles, Scaphinotus is flightless. In fact, the hind wings are practically nonexistent.

Info 2 0
Similar species: Beetles
Species identified by Ferdy Christant
View morpheme's profile

By morpheme

All rights reserved
Uploaded Nov 24, 2014. Captured Nov 23, 2014 12:18 in 11838 Tilley Road Southwest, Olympia, WA 98512, USA.
country flag of United States of America Explore United States of America 40,038 9,661 8
  • X-E1
  • f/1.0
  • 1/125s
  • ISO800
  • 50mm
Captured in the fall. More fall photos.