Pterostichus melanarius: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the pterostichus melanarius lives – recorded in 17 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Pterostichus melanarius
Group	Beetles
Found in	17 countries
Continents	Europe, North America
Class	Insect
Order	Coleoptera
Family	Carabidae

Where does the pterostichus melanarius live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the pterostichus melanarius in 17 countries and territories across Europe and North America. In Canada it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the pterostichus melanarius?

The pterostichus melanarius (Pterostichus melanarius) is an insect in the order Coleoptera and the family Carabidae, genus Pterostichus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the pterostichus melanarius

Pterostichus melanarius, the rain beetle, is a type of carabid (ground beetle) of the genus Pterostichus. It is native to Europe but is increasingly found in North America after being introduced to the region in the 1920s. It is a predatory beetle that eats other invertebrates, which makes it a valuable pest control agent in agricultural settings. Additionally, the beetle has wing dimorphism which has contributed to its increasing distribution across North America.

The larvae of this species of beetle have been observed exhibiting cannibalistic behaviorisms in high population densities. The rain beetle's habitat is influenced by their hunger level, with starved beetles preferring larger prey ranges compared to satiated beetles.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pterostichus melanarius (revision 1374161186), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q3410292 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).