Beetle (IMAGE) Penn State Caption When Pennsylvania ground beetles are not defending themselves they are friends of agriculture, consuming up to their body weight daily, eating pests such as aphids, moth and beetle larvae, as well as slugs and snails. They can spray their defensive chemicals a distance multiple times their body length. Credit Nick Sloff, Penn State Usage Restrictions Non commercial use only License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.