About the European Gazelle Beetle
Nebria brevicollis, the short-collared gazelle beetle, belonging to the Carabidae family, is a ground beetle. With nearly 500 species and over 100 subspecies, Nebria is the most diverse genus within the Nebriini tribe of ground beetles. Members of the genus occupy a wide range of habitats. Nebria brevicollis is native to Europe and the Near East but has been introduced to the western United States and Canada. Its rapid expansion in North America is characteristic of an invasive species. Due to the variation in habitat, their diet consists of small arthropods (less than 4 mm in length) including Collembola, Diptera, earthworms, mites, and spiders.
Nebria brevicollis has a dark brown body with reddish-brown tibiae, tarsi, palpi, and antennae. The pronotum features two lateral setae on each side and is densely punctuate across its base. This species is most abundant between October and December, then from January through mid-May. It is of modest size, ranging in length from 10–14 mm. It has two sets of wings, protected by a hard shell that is black or dark brown. Only a few beetles have functional flight muscles. No sexual dimorphism has been observed between males and... Wikipedia →