It’s a beetle. Hard how could it be to identify?
Last weekend while looking under logs and stones in my backyard, I found this cute little beetle.
I found a number of these scurrying after I picked up a bag of gravel. They clearly did not like to be in the open as they tried to hide under whatever they could find. Although not evident from the shot, the back reflected a greenish color.
According to modern estimates, there are about 350,000 beetle species identified so far. Scientists believe that the total amount of beetle species on the planet is somewhere from around three to eight million. The end result, the chances I’ll be able to identify this beetle are not great.
Still, I couldn’t resist getting a number of shots off.
Here’s a closeup shot.
From looking at these shots, I wonder if the beetle is a predator or feeds on decayed matter. The picture above should give the necessary clue, but unfortunately I still have a lot to learn. I am guessing when I say that it is not a predator due to two observations.
1) The mouth above does not appear to be the mouth of a predator. It sort of looks like it may have pincers, but it appears that the mouth is more geared towards eating plants.
2) They were in groups when I lifted the bag. Predators seem to be more solitary.
One of these days I need to take a good entomology course to learn a bit more about our many neighbors.
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Looks like a Harpalus species to me. Check the website. Its a commonly found ground beetle genus in the family Carabidae. Most are are omnivores which means that they have a wide range of foraging habits from detritus to other insects. I regularly find ground beetles struggling to pull worms from their holes.
Just thought you might be interested.