# Rain Beetle

*Pterostichus melanarius*

These beetles are highly valued by farmers as natural pest controllers, capable of consuming their own body weight in crop-damaging pests every single day.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Carabidae › Pterostichus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous forests, agricultural fields, meadows, and suburban gardens.
- **Diet:** Carnivorous; feeds on agricultural pests including slugs, snails, caterpillars, and aphids.
- **Range:** Europe, North America
- **Size:** 12-18 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 1-2 years
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Broad-spectrum chemical pesticides, intensive tillage, and soil compaction.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans. You can safely observe them crawling through leaf litter. If handled roughly, they may pinch with their mandibles or release a pungent, foul-smelling chemical defense. If pinched or sprayed, wash your hands with soap and water.

## About

Pterostichus melanarius is a species of ground beetle native to Europe.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/d6e0851b-8f0c-428d-910e-b9a5ac69cab7
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/131931
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterostichus_melanarius
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/102564938/medium.jpeg (Gavin Slater, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.