Bury Wildlife
Carabidae Ground Beetles
This is a particular difficult Genus to ID so these can be seen as represenative only.
Amara Aaenea common sun beetle 6-9mm bright bronze ground beetle with a typical squat, oval, Amara appearance. Largely phytophagous. Found on dry sandy ground with sparse vegetation, or on bare soil in gardens, arable land, river gravels etc. Very common
Amara familiaris 5.5-7.2mm long brassy Amara. Phytophagous. Common in all types of open ground, including gardens and arable land.
Amara (Amara) lunicollis A 7.5-9mm long Amara of wet meadows, marshes and peatlands. Widely distributed.
Amara aulica common
Agonum muelleri is a small (8mm long) common Ground Beetle with green elytra and a coppery pronutum. . It occurs on open, moderately dry ground, including arable land. Widely distributed
Agonum fuliginosum (????)
Agonum marginatum A common and widespread beetle, usually found near water. This distinctive ground beetle (although there are several other green coloured species) was found under detritus at the edge of an area of water on Warsop Main Pit Top in April 2010. Length of this Agonum marginatum was around 12mm
Anchomenus dorsalis A small (6-8mm) attractive metallic-green ground beetle with orange patches on the elytra. Common in gardens and farmland in hedgerows, under stones and in litter and tussocks etc.
Badister bullatus, A colourful ground beetle, often found singly under logs and bark during the Autumn and Winter months
Bembidion tetracolum Description: 5-6mm long black ground beetle with 4 orange-brown spots. Very common in in a variety of habitats including grassland, wetland margins, riverbanks, gardens etc.
Bembidion Lampros small (3-4mm) beetle. It is very shiny, normally brassy, with reddish brown legs common. It frequents most dry habitats, including gardens and agricultural land.
Bembidion quadrimaculatum Unlike similar members of the family it is found in drier areas, including gardens, as well as damper habitats.
harpalus affinis An 8.5-12mm long black beetle with colourful and varied metallic reflections. The male is usually metallic bronze, green or blue, the female usually unmetallic black. Common in dry grassland and coastal dunes.
Harpalus rufipes, 11-16mm. Black and dull but with the elytra covered with short yellowish hairs. Legs and antennae are reddish-brown. Only the first and second antennal segments are bare. The pronotum sides are rounded and sinuate just in front of the sharp hind angles.
Leistus (Leistophorus) fulvibarbis
Leistus rufomarginatus Length 8 to 10 mm. This is a very distinctive blue-black or reddish-black species, with the legs, antennae and palps all being red. The pronotum is also edged red. It was first recorded in England in 1942, but has since spread northwards and now reaches as far as
Loricera pilicornis Small (6-8.5mm) bronze-black ground beetle with conspicuously bristly antennae. Very common everywhere but especially gardens, open gravelly or sandy sites and streamsides in mountains.
Platynus assimilis Commonly found under logs or loose bark and in a variety of habitats, including in gardens amongst overgrown vegetation
Paranchus albipes. This is a 6 to 9mm long, dark brown ground beetle with conspicuous pale yellow legs and antennae. The first three antennal segments are all non-pubescent. Under stones and among litter or on mud at the side of lakes, streams and rivers.
Many of these at first appearance are black beertles but differences in shape and key characteristics can aid ID. Even then it is still difficult. Distribution helps to narrow down candidates but ID on many is still very tentative.
patrobus atrorufus Widely distributed in southern Britain but much rarer in the north
philorhizus melanocephalus Particularly common in tussocks and litter of sand dunes and, more locally, riverine marshes and lakeshores, where it climbs tall vegetation
paradromius linearis Damp grassland and marshy places where it can be found in sedge and reed litter. Common
Bradycellus verbasci (?) A small (around 4mm) ground beetle, not often recorded during the day, but which is greatly attracted to MV light during moth trapping sessions. There are several almost identical species visually, so correct identification of any Bradycellus from photographs is impossible
calathus melanocephalus A 6-9mm long ground beetle with two colour forms - black with a bright red pronotum (type form), or all black. The form is widespread in fairly dry conditions and the dark form occurs in high mountains on morainic substrates..
Violet Ground Beetle - Carabus violaceus One of the largest species in the UK, measuring about 20-30mm in length. Emerges to hunt slugs and other insects at night. Often found by day under logs and stones. as this in George Wood. Common.
Green Tiger Beetle - Cicindela campestris It is usually found in areas with bare ground or sparse vegetation such as gravelly or sandy hillsides and sandy heath. Fierce predator often seen flying. Widespread but not common. Could be in Bury. Records and this are from the Dove Stones area.
Snail Hunter - Cychrus caraboides Length 14 to 19 mm. This beetle has a long thin head designed for getting inside snail shells to eat the flesh. It is mainly found in woodland and other shaded habitats living under rotten logs. Common
Dromius quadrimaculatus handsome beetle with four brown spots on the abdomen lives and was found under bark end of canal. Common found end of canal
Nebria brevicollis Moderate-sized (10-14mm) black ground beetle. Eurytopic i.e. occurs in most habitats but particularly under stones in woodland and dense heather moorland. Very common throughout
Notiophilus biguttatus, The Notiophilus beetles are very distinctive with prominent eyes. There are eight species in Britain, all very similar but often in different habitats.They are diurnal and strictly carnivorous, preying upon springtails and mites amongst the leaf litter. Breeds mostly in the spring /Common.
Notiophilus germinyi bronze ground beetle of open ground, usually on peatlands at moderate to high altitude. Probably widespread this found Holcombe Moor
Ocys harpaloides found in leaf litter canal end,
Black Clock Beetle - Pterostichus madidus A large (15-20 mm) shiny black ground beetle with either all black legs or wine-red legs (variety concinnus). The well-rounded pronotum helps to distinguish this species from other simi8lar ground beetles. Largely predatory on many ground-living invertebrates, including caterpillars and slugs, but the adult also eats some plant material.
Pterostichus strenuus Length 5 to 7 mm. All black body but with red-brown legs. Common in almost every habitat, usually living amongst plant litter but also under stones. Common in gardens and on arable land.
Pterostichus melanarius Description: A large (12-20mm) shiny black ground beetle, common under stones,loose bark and in grass tussocks and leaf litter in a variety of moist habitats.
Pterostichus niger A large (15-20mm) predatory black ground beetle. Common in a variety of open habitats, including arable