European Gazelle Beetle
Nebria brevicollis
Despite having wings, it rarely flies, preferring to sprint across the forest floor like a tiny gazelle to catch its prey.
- Scientific name
- Nebria brevicollis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Carabidae › Nebria
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and agricultural fields.
- Diet
- Carnivorous; feeds on small invertebrates, collembola (springtails), mites, and aphids.
- Range
- Europe, North America, Western Asia
- Size
- 10-14 mm
- Lifespan
- 1-2 years
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Pesticide use in agriculture, habitat fragmentation, and heavy soil compaction.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. If encountered, observe its rapid movements from a safe distance. Avoid handling to prevent stressing the insect; if handled, it may pinch weakly with its mandibles but cannot break the skin. No medical attention is required.
Nebria brevicollis is a species of ground beetle native to Europe and the Near East. In Europe, it is found in all countries and islands except the Azores, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, Franz Josef Land, Gibraltar, Madeira, Malta, Monaco, the North Aegean Islands, Novaya Zemlya, San Marino, the Selvagens Islands, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, and Vatican City. It has now been reported as introduced in western Oregon, U.S.A., where it has been found in...
Photo: Julien Renoult, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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