Glorious Green Gobblers

Anyone in the wheatbelt who left their outside light on over the last few nights has likely been bombarded by large, iridescent flying beetles with rather large mandibles! They are known as Green Carab Beatles (Order: Coleoptera), Stink Beetles or Caterpillar Hunters!!

These shiny beetles have come out of the ground and begun to gather around lights across Australia, ready to meet a mate and begin the next generation of beetles. They might also enjoy a tasty moth or catrpillar as a snack if they can get one!!

Their iridescent colours are created by light that is refracted from fine grooves in their pitted carapace, which is actually black - not green!! Other species across the nation and world are various colours, including red, yellow, blue and green.

Green Carab Beetles are active at night and hunt slow-moving prey such as caterpillars. They can be beneficial as a predator of insect pests, such as armyworms and cutworms. The larvae are also carnivorous.

But, don't get too close - if you do you might get a dose of a foul smelling scent on you. They use this smell to deter predators, and it works a treat. Phew!