ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET, 



CARABUS HORTENSIS. Fabr. 

 Garden Carabus. 



Black, and generally apterous, or having only the 

 rudiments of wings : the thorax black and convex, 

 nearly of the breadth of the base of the elytra ; the 

 margin purplish : the elytra are rough, with a triple 

 row of bronzed excavated points. Length one inch. 



This strong, powerful and voracious insect, is one 

 of the commonest species of the genus Carabus; it 

 inhabits most gardens, and will often be met with 

 on ground, recently turned up by the spade, during 

 the early spring months. In April and May they 

 are also frequently to be seen in the pathways of our 

 gardens, in the evening, in pursuit of the larvae of 

 insects, slugs, snails and worms, which they greedily 

 devour, and destroy great numbers. During the day 

 they may be found in dark and retired places, be- 

 neath stones, dead leaves, and under the rubbish of 

 gardens. 



The male insects of this genus have the anterior 

 tarsi broad— in the females they are simple. So far 

 as we have been enabled to observe the natural 

 history of this species, the females deposit their eggs 

 in the places they retire to during the day, and in 

 holes in the earth — the larvae are equally voracious 

 with the perfect insect, and will destroy all they can 

 overcome : they are in the larva state during the 

 summer and autumn, and appear to go deep into the 

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