The Leather Beetle (Carabus coriaceus) is an insect in the Carabidae family of ground beetles.
The Leather Beetle has a small rounded head, a small thorax (chest), and a long, deep black, leathery abdomen (body). It is wingless. It has long, black and ridged antennae. It has a groove on its foreleg with a comb of hairs used for cleaning its antennae. It has bulging eyes. It has six long, thin, hairy legs.
It measures 3-4 centimetres (1 to 1.5 inches) in length.
It is widespread across Europe. It prefers to live in deciduous forests. It is seen all year.
It is nocturnal, active at night. It feeds on snails, earthworms, and caterpillars.
The Leather Beetle runs along the ground in quick spurts. It usually sprints quickly, then stops, and sprints again very quickly.
The female lays 45-60 eggs, which hatch after 13-54 days into larvae, called grubs. The larvae live underground in tunnel-shaped burrows. Each larva pupates (undergoes metamorphosis) by forming a casing. It emerges after 12-50 days as an adult beetle.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM