Snail Hunter - Cychrus caraboides

Description

Length 14 to 19 mm. This beetle has a long thin head designed for getting inside snail shells to eat the flesh. It also has a pear-shaped body and is not likely to be confused with any other species.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

It is mainly found in woodland and other shaded habitats living under rotten logs.

When to see it

It can found all year. In winter, it hibernates, often in groups, in hollows under logs and stones.

Life History

Larvae occur during autumn and winter as a result of autumn breeding.

UK Status

Quite common and widespread over much of Britain.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 66 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Snail Hunter
Species group:
Beetles
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Carabidae
Records on NatureSpot:
18
First record:
30/09/1987 (Derek Lott)
Last record:
23/01/2023 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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