Description: Predacious ground beetles, ¼- to 1¼-inch long, are typically black or dark metallic, with long legs and long antennae. Their larvae are slender, wormlike, and fast-moving and use large pincers to capture their prey.

Life cycles: Predacious ground beetles overwinter as adults. Their larvae can take about a year to develop, and some adults can live two to four years.

Key benefits: Both larvae and adults feed at night on a variety of insects, including armyworms, cutworms, grubs, small snails, and slugs.

top