Mothing Mates - Violet Ground Beetle

A while ago, I started another very occasional feature called Mothing Villains featuring non-lepidopteran insects and anything else that is a right pain the arse when they turn up in traps or when mothing. In yet another of these half-baked features, this is the opposite end of the scale where non-lepidopteran insects and whatever turns up that I quite like for one reason or another (usually entirely arbitrary). This one is a Violet Ground Beetle - I potted it to get a shot in daylight although they can be bloody quick off the mark when they get going. They are quite big - getting on for an inch in total length from nose to tail, with a superb violet-blue sheen in the right light. Violet Ground Beetle - very smart