A small (.75" long) black-colored ground beetle walks briskly across an asphalt-paved bike trail towards a very chewed up piece of tree branch, a yellow and green leaf, and a stick. Everything around the beetle is larger in size.
The same black ground beetle once it had crossed the bike path seen between a low green leafy plant with several leaves and a piece of felled tree (most likely oak). Dirt is under the beetle and can be seen primarily in the lower left and left side of the photo where there isn't decaying wood or the small plant. Sun shines on the upper right part of the photo, taken in late afternoon.
Spotted a ground beetle on a spring walk. It was busy going from one side of the forested park to the other, briefly crossing the paved path. These predatory beetles practice #integratedpestmanagement by eating aphids, maggots, worms & more, doing most of their work at night
