Carabus auratus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Carabus auratus, the golden ground beetle, is a species of ground beetle in the genus Carabus. This species is native to central and western Europe and has been introduced into North America. The flightless beetle reaches a body length between 1.7 and 2.0 cm. The elytra, each marked with three broad longitudinal grooves, are an iridescent gold-green colour, as are the head and thorax. The legs, antennae and mouth parts are orange.
C. auratus is found in fields and amongst bushes, particularly on loamy soil. On occasion, it climbs into trees. Active during the day, it preys upon insects, snails, and worms, which it seizes with its mandibles and sprays with a digestive secretion before consuming it. C. auratus can be welcome to farmers and gardeners, as it feeds upon pests such as the Colorado potato beetle.
The larvae hunt only at dawn. They moult three times before pupating in the soil and then emerging as adults in the autumn. The beetles' life expectancy is around two years; they overwinter under the shelter of stones or moss.
Carabus auratus auratus Linnaeus, 1761 (Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Ground Beetle sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 730th most-seen of the 996 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Ground Beetle in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to February, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden Ground Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Golden Ground Beetle sightings, Cévennes National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Pyrénées National Park (France, about 10%).
Same genus: Carabus
The closest relatives of the Golden Ground Beetle that you can see in Cévennes National Park (genus Carabus, Worm and Slug Hunters) are Carabus hispanus (about 30%), Carabus purpurascens (about 10%) and Bronze Ground Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Golden Ground Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
