Bug FAQBlue Ground Beetle
Carabus intricatus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Carabidae
The blue ground beetle is a large beetle about 24 to 35 mm long with a metallic purple-blue, roughly textured wing case. Adults live under bark on dead, damp, moss-covered wood or beneath rocks and are active mainly in spring and early summer. They hunt nocturnally, preferring slugs such as Limax marginatus, but will also eat liver, dog food and crabsticks.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its elytra are metallic purple or blue with a rough surface, and the flight wings underneath are reduced.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It measures between 24 and 35 mm (about 0.9 to 1.4 inches) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In the wild, adults are found under bark on dead, damp wood and under rocks, favoring moist, moss-covered timber.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It mainly preys on slugs of the genus Limax, especially Limax marginatus, and will also consume liver, dog food and crabsticks.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active year-round, larvae develop over summer and may take up to two years to reach adulthood, with adults living a long time.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
These beetles are nocturnal carnivores most active in spring and early summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs throughout Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How large does the blue ground beetle get?
It grows to about 24 to 35 mm (0.9 to 1.4 inches) long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the blue ground beetle live?
Adults hide under bark on dead, damp wood and under rocks, preferring moist, moss-covered timber.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the blue ground beetle eat?
It mainly hunts slugs of the genus Limax, especially Limax marginatus, but will also eat liver, dog food and crabsticks.
Source: Wikipedia
When are blue ground beetles active?
They are nocturnal and are most active during spring and early summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Carabidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabus_intricatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.