Ground-beetles
Guides
Pterostichus
Blackclock Ground Beetles
Pterostichus is a large genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) in the subfamily Harpalinae, comprising over 1,200 species with a Holarctic distribution. These beetles are primarily predatory and are commonly found in ground-level habitats, often beneath rocks and debris. The genus exhibits considerable ecological diversity, with species showing varied substrate preferences ranging from sandy soils to subterranean environments.
Scaritinae
Pedunculate Ground Beetles
Scaritinae is a large, cosmopolitan subfamily of ground beetles (Carabidae) containing over 2,400 species in more than 140 genera. Members exhibit considerable ecological diversity, with many species adapted to specialized habitats including caves, riverbanks, and deep soil layers. The subfamily includes tribes such as Scaritini, Clivinini, and Salcediini. Several genera show disjunct distributions that have contributed to biogeographic understanding of continental drift and faunal exchange.
Sphodrini
Sphodrini is a tribe of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, subfamily Platyninae. The tribe comprises more than 30 genera and at least 910 described species. Members of this tribe exhibit considerable diversity in geographic distribution, ranging from the Himalayas and East Asia to Europe and the Middle East. Some genera, such as Pristosia, show complex biogeographic patterns associated with Tertiary Tibetan faunal components and Himalayan uplift.
Stenolophina
seedcorn beetles (for genus Stenolophus)
Stenolophina is a subtribe of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, comprising approximately 9 genera and at least 50 described species. The subtribe includes the genus Stenolophus, commonly known as seedcorn beetles. Members are small to medium-sized carabids found in diverse terrestrial habitats.
Syntomus
Syntomus is a genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, subfamily Lebiinae. The genus contains at least 50 described species distributed across the Palearctic region and North America. Members are small to minute beetles, with at least one species (Syntomus lateralis) documented as a host for parasitic mites in the family Podapolipidae.
Tachyina
Tachyina is a subtribe of small ground beetles (Carabidae: Trechinae: Bembidiini) established by Motschulsky in 1862. Members include diminutive species typically measuring 2–3 mm in body length. The subtribe contains genera such as Tachyura, characterized by distinctive male genitalic morphology and specific puncture patterns on the elytra. Taxonomic revisions continue to clarify species boundaries and the availability of historical infrasubspecific names.
Tachys
Tachys is a genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, subfamily Trechinae, tribe Bembidiini. The genus contains at least 270 described species, making it one of the larger genera within the ground beetles. Species have been documented across multiple continents including North America, Europe, Asia, and India. Members are small, fast-running beetles typically associated with moist microhabitats.
Tachyta
Tachyta is a genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, first described by Kirby in 1837. The genus contains more than 30 described species. These beetles are members of the tribe Bembidiini within the subfamily Trechinae.
Tanystoma
Tanystoma is a genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) in the subfamily Platyninae. It comprises five described species distributed along the Pacific Coast of North America. One species, Tanystoma maculicolle, is commonly known as the tule beetle. The genus was established by Motschulsky in 1845.
Tecnophilus
Tecnophilus is a genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, established by Chaudoir in 1877. The genus contains two described species: Tecnophilus croceicollis and Tecnophilus pilatei. It belongs to the subtribe Agrina within the tribe Lebiini, subfamily Lebiinae. The genus is rarely encountered in collections and field observations.
Trechinae
Trechinae is a subfamily of ground beetles (Carabidae) containing over 6,700 described species across more than 430 genera and 6 tribes. The group exhibits remarkable diversity in habitat preferences, ranging from surface-dwelling species in alpine páramos and saline coastal environments to highly specialized troglobitic (obligate cave-dwelling) forms with extreme morphological adaptations including eyelessness and depigmentation. Notable tribes include Trechini, which contains the most morphologically modified cave-adapted species, and Pogonini, which are primarily associated with humid and saline environments.
Trechini
Trechini is a large and diverse tribe of small ground beetles in the family Carabidae, comprising over 270 genera and more than 2,400 described species worldwide. Members are typically diminutive, often less than 5 mm in length, with many species measuring 1 mm or less. The tribe exhibits remarkable habitat breadth, occurring in terrestrial, subterranean, and high-altitude mountain environments across all continents except Antarctica, though fossil evidence indicates former presence there. Trechini includes numerous cave-adapted lineages, making it the most diverse and cave-specialized group among Carabidae tribes in subterranean habitats.
Trechus
Trechus is a large genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) comprising over 1,000 described species. The genus is distributed across the Palearctic, Near East, and highlands of East Africa. The name derives from the Greek word *trécho*, meaning "I run." Species occupy diverse habitats including floodplain meadows, alpine zones, and volcanic highlands.
Triorophus
Triorophus is a genus of darkling beetles (family Tenebrionidae) within the tribe Edrotini. The genus was established by J.L. LeConte in 1851. Members of this genus are part of the subfamily Pimeliinae, a group often associated with arid and semi-arid environments. The genus contains multiple species distributed in North America, particularly in western regions.
Xenotrechus
Xenotrechus is a genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) described by Barr & Krekeler in 1967. It contains two described species: X. condei and X. denticollis. The genus belongs to the tribe Trechini within the subfamily Trechinae, placing it among the small, often eyeless or reduced-eyed beetles adapted to subterranean or specialized habitats.
Zabrini
Seed-eating Ground Beetles
Zabrini is a tribe of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, subfamily Pterostichinae, with more than 750 described species across three genera. The tribe is divided into two subtribes: Amarina (containing Amara and Pseudamara) and Zabrina (containing Zabrus). Species are found primarily in the Holarctic region, with exceptional diversity in China. The common name 'Seed-eating Ground Beetles' reflects granivory observed in some species, though feeding habits vary considerably across the tribe.
Zuphiini
Zuphiini is a tribe of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, established by Bonelli in 1810. The tribe contains at least 23 genera and more than 120 described species with a worldwide distribution. Members of the genus Coarazuphium within this tribe include obligate cave-dwelling (troglobitic) species found in iron ore caves in Brazil's Carajás region, which harbors the highest diversity of obligatory cave-dwelling beetles in the country.