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Ground Beetles Caterpillar Hunters |
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Caterpillar Hunters are very large ground beetles that live in North
America. Most of them are entirely black, but some look like brightly
colored metal. They smell very bad because they have secretions from the
abdomen that they can spray.
Caterpillar Hunters originally came from Europe, but were brought to the United States in 1905. The Forest Caterpillar Hunters were released in New England in order to control Gypsy Moths. Caterpillar Hunters get rid of gypsy moths by eating the caterpillars of gypsy moths and they also eat the fully grown adult gypsy moths. Gypsy moths can destroy forests like those in New England because they eat the leaves of the trees. The ground beetles called Caterpillar Hunters are considered beneficial bugs because they can eat huge amounts of destructive gypsy moths so that the forests do not get destroyed. Caterpillar Hunters also eat large qualities of Wooly Worms that destroy trees by eating the leaves. You have probably seem the Wooly Worms if you live in the United States or Canada. Follow this link to pictures of wooly worms.
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