A Natural History of the Ground-beetles Coleoptere: Carabidae of American North of Mexico (Pensoft Series Faunistica, 27)

This volume is a summary of the natural history of the ground-beetles from North America north of Mexico. Under each taxon, the ecology, biology, dispersal power, collecting techniques, and selected references are given. The section on ecology comprises the following: altitudinal distribution, habitat, diel activity, and gregariousness. The section dealing with biology gives details on seasonality, mating, gravid females or oviposition, tenerals, overwintering, feeding, predation, parasitism, and defense-mechanism. The section on dispersal power, or the capability of dispersal, has been assessed when possible, using three main criteria: wing condition, flight data (including light-trapping observations), and other locomotory habits. The section on collecting techniques provides the best means of capture. The section reference lists the most relevant papers, with appropriate key words. An exhaustive bibliography is also included. An indispensable tool for anybody interested in ground-beetles, as well as to libraries due to the incredible amount of information summarized in this book.