Beautiful hunter

The forest paths down by the Verde River here in Arizona have seen quite a few Darkling Beetles out and about but a more striking (and formidable) beetle has also made an appearance.

The Green Caterpillar Hunter or Fiery Searcher as it's also known (Calosoma scrutator) is a large beetle strikingly beautiful with metallic green coloration and formidable jaws well-equipped for being an efficient hunter (or inflicting a nip if handled roughly).

This guy was moving swiftly through the leaf litter so I held hom just long enough for a few photographs before releasing him back to continue his late afternoon hunt.