Biology of a Ground Beetle, Harpalus erraticus1, 2

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Abstract
Adult Harpalus erraticus Say (Coleoptera: Carabidae), the most numerous carabid species in cropland in South Dakota, are active in fields during August and September. Overwintering adults oviposit from late August to early October, and the species overwinters in soil as 1st-stage larvae and as adults. The 2 larval instars cannot be distinguished by measurements of structures of the exoskeleton. Both larvae and adults construct vertical burrows in the soil, which can sometimes be located by the presence of tumuli. The species requires 2 years to complete its life cycle. Adults are poor predators of corn rootworms, Diabrotica spp., in the laboratory. Adults are especially vulnerable to predation by skunks.

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