This book introduces British ground beetles and tiger beetles. As predators, they are important agents of natural pest control in crops. As lively active beetles readily caught in pitfall traps, they have considerable potential as subjects for ecological investigations. This work introduces their natural history, paying particular attention to their feeding and the mechanical movements of their mouth parts and bodies in relation to diet and behaviour. It also deals with reproduction, and with the distribution of activity in relation to habitat and season. Illustrated keys enable the ground beetles most commonly found in Britain to be named to species. Techniques are described for studying beetles in the field and in the laboratory, for persuading ground beetles to lay eggs, and for rearing the eggs, larvae and pupae.