Size: Approximately 30mms long
Distribution: Found throughout the U.K.
Months Active: March to October
Diet: Eats a variety of small creatures, mostly pests. A real friend to the gardener.
Habitat: Gardens and Fields
Features: One of our largest beetles. It is black with a metallic violet sheen - hence the name. Its wing casings are fused together, and they have a flattened flange all the way around the edges.
Violet ground beetles are nocturnal hunters. During the day they can be found resting under logs, stones and leaf litter.
Their larvae are carnivorous too. They take ten months to mature and then they pupate in the soil. They emrge as adult beetles in the autumn, but don't become active until the following spring. The adults live for about nine months.