For this mini-collection, I provided with a tray of ground beetle specimens following an identification demonstration at The Oxford University Museum of Natural History, conducted by Dr James Hogan.

The task for this mini-collection was to correctly identify the specimens to species, through the use of the following key: "The Carabidae (ground beetles) of Britain and Ireland" by Martin L. Luff. 

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Identifying Carabidae is an essential tool as they are great bioindicators and model organisms for monitoring and understanding environmental health (Koivula 2011). The high sensitivity seen throughout species of ground beetles to anthropogenic factors, such as agricultural practices and habitat fragmentation, make them key biological sensors which reflect the quality of their environment. Furthermore, as they are well researched and easily sampled, the ability to identify different species of Carabidae allows for more precise, data-driven insights into ecosystem health to be made.