Carabus is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae. The genus is highly diverse with 94 subgenera, 959 species and 2300 subspecies, thus is the largest genus in the subfamily Carabinae. The vast majority are native to the Palearctic, but 16 Nearctic species are also known. Carabus spp. are 12 - 50 mm long, and most species are wingless and often very colourful. These are nocturnal, predatory beetles that feed on snails, earthworms, and caterpillars. Most Carabus species were thought to have inhabited the Eurasian forest, but the species' low dispersal abilities altered the distribution of lineages within the genus.

Diet

Adult Carabus feeds on both small live and dead animals such as slugs, snails, earthworms, and insects in all stages, sometimes dead vertebrates. The ways of feeding on snails are different for their adaptations, as macrocephalic beetles feed snails by crushing shells, and stenocephalic beetles feed snails by inserting the head into the shell.

Species

Carabus contains the following 960 species: