Pliocene Carabid Beetle

Pliocene

Rita Blanca Formation

Oldham County, TX USA.

4mm on 59mm slab

Insect. Arthropod. Coleoptera.

Carabid beetles make up a large family (Carabidae) within the beetle order, Coeloptera, with over 40,000 species worldwide.  They are commonly referred to as ground beetles of various sizes, forms and abilities (bombardier beetles).  They date back to the Triassic and diversified during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, and again during the Cenozoic.

It’s possible it’s closely-related to the bombardier beetle which can spray a nasty, hot liquid on anything it declares war on like those bugs in “Starship Troopers.” It’s probably harmless now.