Space importance and responsibility for species conservation illustrated in ground beetles in Switzerland (Coleoptera, Carabidae), with remarks on the Swiss Red List. - All known 551 specific and subspecific taxa of Swiss ground beetles are given including the 133 endangered taxa as well as the 167 taxa with space importance. Five degrees of space importance are defined: endemic for Switzerland, species of the Alps only, species with southern European distribution, species with central European distribution and those of a wider European distribution. A national (or political) responsibility for species and subspecies is given by the space importance and the status in the Swiss Red List of these taxa. 28 Swiss carabid taxa are of very high national responsibility including the endemic taxa, 47 taxa are of high responsibility. There is only a low overlap of 4 % between the group of endangered species and the group of taxa with high responsibility. Space importance and responsibility for conservation are a supplement criterion to the Red List data for conservation valuations. Complementary remarks on the Swiss Red List are given.