Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
tropical ant-lion larvae, which are related to our lace-wings, or the
Atypus
spiders de-
scribed earlier.
In addition to these catholic predators, there are many which specialize on cer-
tain prey. One ground beetle which is obviously beneficial to man is
Bembidion
lampros
, a brassy, diurnal species of 2.5-3.5mm common in arable soils. Here it plays
an important role in consuming the eggs of flies such as the cabbage root fly
Delia
radicans
which can cause much damage to brassica crops.
Calasoma
species are par-
ticularly partial to the subterranean cutworm larvae of several noctuid moths men-
tioned earlier.
Dyschirius
pursues the burrowing rove beetle
Bledius
, using its remark-
ably broadened fore-legs like the mole and the mole-cricket mentioned earlier. Even
snails are attacked. The flexible, Carabus-like
Cychrus
can insinuate itself into the
shell, and, like the quite unrelated genus
Silpha
, can overcome the defensive slime of
the snail with digestive secretions.
