Scaphinotus petersi – Snail-Eating Ground Beetle
Arizona
Ground beetles- the family Carabidae- are a spectacular evolutionary radiation of terrestrial predators. The elegant, flightless beetles of the genus Scaphinotus prefer snails and slugs.
photo details. TOP PHOTO. Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon 20D
f/18, 1/250 sec, ISO 100
inside a white box studio, illuminated with indirect flash
BOTTOM PHOTO. Canon MPE-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon 20D
f/13, 1/250 sec, ISO 100
Twin Flash diffused through tracing paper.
A personal blog by Illinois-based biologist and photographer Alex Wild.
Snail eating beetle!? Smash it! Smash it!
But seriously, do you have any pictures of them while eating snails? I would like to know if & how they break snail shells.
Aydin- They apparently go in the front end, see here:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070626115432.htm