How to distinguish useful ground beetles from harmful ground beetles?

This question, about useful and harmful ground beetles, I asked an experienced elderly friend. I share the answer with you.

Yes, we have friends under the name of ground beetle. When I found out about this, I began to look closely at my gardeners.

After digging, I sometimes lay the old roofing slate. I lifted it up and saw three beetles, similar to ground beetles by description. He left him alone, but threw a snail under the flooring. The next day I went to see if they ate the snail.

I want to say that beetles live in burrows. Began to follow one. The beetle did not come out of the burrow, although it was near the exit. I rolled up a wood lice with a stick. As soon as she got to the exit of the mink, the beetle immediately grabbed her, dragged her into his dwelling and... a feast went to the whole world.

It turns out, to check whether it is a predatory ground beetle or not, we need a snail or wood lice.

A beetle that escapes from us while digging will not feast. He needs a mink - his house. He must be calm and master of his position.

Ground beetles live under cover. Where woodlice gather.

Here's a story.

And now, how did my relationship with beneficial insects develop? I also look forward to your stories.

Kill! Not all... Not all ...

For a long time, I killed all the insects in the garden that came across. I understood that there were useful ones, but how to distinguish them? Over time, I began to understand who is who. Friends were found in the garden:

• Dragonflies
• Praying mantises
• Grasshoppers
• Seven-spotted ladybugs, although it seems to me that other ladybirds do not graze in vain where there are aphids
• Common lacewings
• Hover flies (they look like wasps)
• Fragrant beauties

These are the ones I can easily distinguish. But there are many more of them.

Not so long ago I learned that there are species of ground beetles that eat not only aphids, but also snails, slugs, ants, wood lice. Moreover, they can reduce their number so that there will be no problems from them. The main thing is that they start doing it on time. During an invasion of pests, it is too late to look for ground beetles to fight.

We have useful ground beetles, but I hardly distinguish them.

If the beetles can still be distinguished somehow, "by the waist", then I do not know their larvae at all. I will also destroy inadvertently, such and such a valuable army for the fight against pests.

Now I don’t kill unfamiliar beetles, suddenly a ground beetle. You cannot buy it like some entomophages.

Ground beetles are biting, but they are ready to forgive them for their feats of arms. Moreover, we have not been bitten yet.

But my love for beetles would not end with an invasion of harmful ground beetles.

I try not to dig, for ground beetles this is very good, already a good start of friendship!

Who distinguishes them how?

I would be grateful for your subscription and communication :)