Paussinae
Guides
Goniotropis
Goniotropis is a genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, subfamily Paussinae, containing at least 40 described species. Adults are large, parallel-sided beetles found in the New World tropics. Larvae are burrow-dwelling predators with a distinctive terminal disk composed of modified urogomphi and dorsal plates. The genus ranges from southern Arizona to northern Argentina.
Goniotropis parca
Goniotropis parca is a ground beetle species in the family Carabidae, subfamily Paussinae. It was described by LeConte in 1884. The species has a documented distribution spanning Central America and North America.
Metriini
Ant nest beetles
Metriini is a small tribe of ground beetles in the subfamily Paussinae, commonly known as ant nest beetles. The tribe contains at least three genera and approximately six described species. Members are found in North America and China, with one extinct genus known from Burmese amber. These beetles are associated with ant colonies, though specific ecological details remain limited.
Metrius
Metrius is a genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) comprising two described species: Metrius contractus and Metrius explodens. The genus is notable for exhibiting exceptional tolerance to hydrogen cyanide, a trait shared with the millipede-specialist genus Promecognathus. Unlike Promecognathus, however, there is no documented evidence of millipede predation in Metrius, and the ecological basis for this cyanide tolerance remains unexplained.
Metrius contractus contractus
Contracted Bombing Beetle
Metrius contractus contractus is a subspecies of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, native to western North America. It belongs to the tribe Metriini, which is notable for its specialized chemical defense mechanisms. The species has been documented in Canada and the United States, with observations concentrated in western regions. Like other members of its genus, it possesses the ability to discharge defensive chemicals, earning it the common name 'Contracted Bombing Beetle.'
Ozaena
ozaena beetles
Ozaena is a genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, subfamily Paussinae. These beetles belong to the tribe Ozaenini, which includes species with specialized morphological adaptations. Members of this genus are rarely encountered, with limited observational records. The genus has been documented since the early 19th century, with Olivier establishing the taxon in 1812.
Ozaena lemoulti
Ozaena lemoulti is a carabid beetle in the subfamily Paussinae with an obligate myrmecophilous lifestyle across all life history stages. Molecular gut content analysis confirms that adults exclusively prey on Camponotus ants, using specialized piercing-sucking feeding behavior rather than typical carabid crushing. First instar larvae are morphologically modified for life within ant nests, possessing long running legs and lacking the burrow-dwelling adaptations found in other ozaenines. This species represents an independent evolutionary origin of myrmecophily within Paussinae, distinct from the tribe Paussini.
Physea
Physea is a genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) established by Brullé in 1835. It belongs to the subfamily Paussinae and tribe Ozaenini, a group known for specialized morphological adaptations. The genus contains five described species distributed in the Americas. Members of Ozaenini, including Physea, are often associated with ant colonies or termite nests, though specific ecological details for Physea remain poorly documented.
Physea hirta
Physea hirta is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1853. It belongs to the subfamily Paussinae, a group that includes many ant-associated beetles. The species has been recorded from Central America and North America, specifically from Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Very little is known about its biology or ecology.