Scarita: be happy if you see it on your property. It will kill all the pests in the area! (7 photos)

Scarites are a fairly large genus of small black beetles. Today, the genus Scarites contains about 200 very similar species. Scarites can be distinguished from all other insects by their characteristic shiny black coloring, ribbed elytra, and two large mandibles.





Here it is, the hero black cloak! More precisely, a black chitinous exoskeleton!

The bugs grow up to 3 centimeters in length - enough to be at the top of the food chain in the world of arthropods and not too noticeable to larger predatory snouts. We bet that you also knew little about the existence of these helpers before this article? Here!



I serve the garden and vegetable garden!

And it is quite easy to meet scarites. They are widespread on all continents (except Antarctica, but this is not certain) and can survive in almost any climate zone. The bugs tolerate the proximity of people well and, moreover, sometimes these insects are kept as pets. Scarites are extremely easy to care for, are not aggressive, and do not require any special diet. By the way, their eating habits are the key point for which we all gathered here.





Species with particularly large mandibles use their jaws not only for hunting, but also for mating competitions.

Scarites are universal soldiers guarding human peace. Having emerged at night from under fallen leaves, stones, and snags, they carry out their bloody post. Their main weapon is their sharp mandibles. The prey that is caught in the trap will remain in its deadly grip forever.



Not all scarids wear an ascetic black suit. Some decorate their chitinous armor with bright colors or iridescent metallic sheen. Such insects most often live closer to the equator.

Like scissors, the scarita cuts flesh and crushes the chitinous shells of its arthropod relatives. Black hunters have no preferences. They annihilate all living things from defenseless slugs and snails to proportionate insects capable of giving a worthy response. So if you saw a horned bug at night, pass by, it's trying for you, actually!



Carry your saviors and deliverers in your arms!

In the summer, scarites sometimes come out into the light of street lamps, but they are still not very happy to communicate with us. Out of fear, the bugs pretend to be dead: they tuck their paws and do not move. Do not rush to collect these for your collection, as soon as you leave, the insect will resurrect. Scarites can also bite a two-legged person who has gotten it. It is unpleasant, but not fatal - they do not have poison, and they are unlikely to bite through skin.



The perfect scissors for hangnails!

It is noteworthy that scarites help us at any stage of life - their passion for murder awakens in infancy. The larvae hatching from the egg have their main weapon from birth - mandibles. In just a year on a carnivorous diet, a worm with jaws turns into an armored fighting machine for the administration of justice. They say that sometimes arthropods can snack on plant seeds, but we know what they really want.



It is not yet clear who is more terrible: adult insects or their babies.

They also say that the mating season for most species occurs in the middle of summer. Males stop destroying snails for a while and start thrashing their own kind. During mating fights, they lift each other off the ground, tightly gripping the jaws of the opponent. The one who is stronger wins. Then everything follows the usual scenario: the winner mates with the female, she lays eggs in a secluded place and leaves. No worries, future warriors must be able to stand up for themselves from the first days of life!