Pterostichus (Abacidus) atratus

Of all the places to look for insects, under debris (logs, boards) is the best.  Under them, many creatures shelter for the day. Then, they come out at night. One of the more common families of insects to do this are the Carabids, or ground beetles. Today I wanted to highlight this spectacular family, and in particular one species that seems to be really common here in Richmond. Here it is:

This is, I believe, Pterostichus atratus*. Almost every board and log I flip yields some of these, and I'm always getting bit, letting them crawl on me, or watching them eat. Mostly,  I find them in open areas, and under sizable logs. I generally won't find them in the open, but when I flip logs, *voila*, one goes scurrying away. I'm almost never getting a good look at what these guys eat, because it's always so mutilated. My guess is they're either eating slugs or worms (anywhere I find these, there are LARGE populations of LARGE worms/slugs). 

Specifically, places I've found them include empty lots, open fields, and the edges of buildings. 





*This photo is being identified by the valiant volunteers on BugGuide.   

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