Bug FAQNarrow-collared Snail-eating Beetle
Scaphinotus angusticollis · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Carabidae
Adult Narrow-collared Snail-eating Beetles are short-winged, live in groups and are active at night. They occur across many parts of North America, from British Columbia and Alaska down to California, Oregon, Washington and Quebec, in forests, mixed woods and cultivated fields. The beetles prey on snails, slugs, earthworms and spiders.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They appear in several colour forms, commonly dark black or deep red, with regional variations.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have reduced wings, live gregariously and are nocturnal.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They inhabit coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests as well as cultivated fields.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They feed on snails, slugs, earthworms and spiders.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are brachypterous, gregarious and nocturnal.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active at night throughout their season.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their native range includes British Columbia, Quebec, Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, Alaska, Oregon, California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Narrow-collared Snail-eating Beetles look like?
They can be dark black or deep red, with colour patterns that vary by region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find these beetles?
They are found in many parts of North America, from British Columbia and Alaska to California, Oregon, Washington and Quebec, in forests and cultivated fields.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Carabidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaphinotus_angusticollis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.