Cychrus
1, 2 blade rotor
The blade runner ( Cychrus ) are a genus of ground beetles ( Carabidae ) dar. These products are considered to mostly black, unmistakable beetle with a body size of 12 to 20 millimeters. In Europe live 14 species of this genus, two of which are also found in Germany.
Features
The most striking feature of the blade runner is the elongated head of the far- forward -reaching toothed mandibles ( cychroide head shape ). Then there are the end members of the pine buttons that are widened like a shovel and gave the beetle the German name. The black elytra are highly arched and embrace down a portion of the ventral side, where they cover the Tracheenöffnungen. Further particulars of the four bare antenna base members.
The blade runners are specialized snail eaters who hunt mainly snails and slugs, but also earthworms. The head and mandibles are extended for this purpose and the coverage of the respiratory openings through the elytra serves as a protection against the mucus that would otherwise clog the spiracles. All runners can shovel at risk chirping noises emit ( stridulation ), which occur on the elytra by a rubbing of the last abdominal segments.
Species
In Europe live 14 species of the genus Cychrus, two of which are located in Germany, and four more in central Europe.
- Common blade runner ( Cychrus caraboides )
- Narrow blade runner or mountain - bucket rotor ( Cychrus attenuatus )
- Cychrus angustatus
- Cychrus schmidtii
- Cychrus cordicollis
- Cychrus italicus
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