Ground beetle adults are black and sometimes slightly metallic in color, Goodspeed says. Normally they are found scurrying along the ground or hiding under a plant or just beneath the soil. They are somewhat shy and reclusive by nature. As they scuttle along trying to avoid any human contact, they search for insect eggs, caterpillars, grubs, cutworms and many other soft-bodied, harmful types. They set elaborate traps to catch and destroy the bad guys.
Spiders are one of the few good guys that can capture and destroy flying meanies.
They can even snare grasshoppers three times their size. A web or two near the garden means the good guy spiders are on patrol guarding the vegetables, so leave them alone. There are also some wasps that parasitize various caterpillars and other insects, he adds. These wasps are tiny and black, with big eyes. Most people never see parasitic wasps, but they are out there trying to control the bad guys.