Topic: Tiny shiny beetle

[westsussexlottie]

We have loads and loads of tiny really shiny little beetles (shiny dark green/purple) in our lottie, but I don't know what they are. I looked and thought maybe leaf beetle - but they are really tiny (about the quarter of my little fingernail)...
Any ideas?
I will try and take apicture of one - but they are fast runners.

[kenkew]

Fast runners = friend, more often than not. It tells you they are preditors. Sounds like the common garden beetle, if so, lucky you. If you have slug/beer traps leave them about an inch above the soil or all your friends are going to drop into them due to the speed they run around.

[westsussexlottie]

What do they eat then???? They must be hungry - there are loads of them.

Also - have seen very few slugs on the plot - have cleared up all the old plastic and bits of wood - and there are hardly any... it was a plot neglected for 6 months or so, and was full of (now despatched) weeds -  is this normal????? Can these beetle eat slug eggs?

[David R]

lots of the predator beetles like ground beetles eat slugs. They are cool beasties

[Mrs Ava]

If they are really teeny, then could they be flea beetles?  The little ogre which munch on your radish, rocket and pak choi plants?  If bigger then these are your regular beetles and good guys eating aphids and sluggies and they scare the bejesus out of me when I am on my hands and knees weeding and they scuttle out from beneath a plant.  Nervous disposition you see...... :o

[redimp]

If they are ground beetles then slugs are exactly what they do eat.  And they would have loved a neglected lottie as they like ground cover.  Make sure that you keep some ground cover for them or you will lose them - they are an asset on a par with ladybirds, hover flies and bumble bees - look after them they are frieds for life.

[westsussexlottie]

Thanks. We have left a big area of weeds at the edge of the allotment and they seem to still be around!