Blue ground beetle  (Carabus intricatus)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Range

The blue ground beetle is found throughout Europe where it is known to be in decline. It is considered a threatened species in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Denmark. In the UK is has always been considered rare, known from only 12 sites in Devon and Cornwall. In 1994, it was found in just two small woodlands, on the edge of Dartmoor but, by 2000, it had also been found at a total of six sites, one near the two Dartmoor sites and three on the edge of Bodmin Moor.

Habitat

The blue ground beetle is associated with damp, rotten moss-covered wood in mature beech and oak woodland. It seems to prefer little or no ground vegetation, and requires a humid atmosphere and a moist, peaty leaf-litter, with grazing to reduce the build-up of ground vegetation.

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