Snail eating ground beetles are some of the most fascinating insects around. They have a rounded body with a narrow head and prothorax that gives them a fairly sleek appearance. I'll be honest though, I've never learned just how this particular morphology benefits them. I invite anybody reading this post to inform me if they happen to know. Part of the uncertainty is why the wide abdomen is mostly filled with air.
This beetle (
Scaphinotus subtilis) is the most common snail eating carabid around Fresno. It has fairly smooth wing covers and is a bit smaller than some of the other
Scaphinotus but it is still an impressive creature.
I found this one on the back side of Table Mountain (northeast of Fresno) in February. It was under the logs seen here along with several isopods and various other edaphic creatures.
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