Description: 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.

NI account: Abundant throughout.

Ecology: One of the most abundant species in disturbed or synanthropic situations. Usually found in partially shaded, hedgerow or woodland habitats but eurytopic and absent only from very saline or very wet situations. Replaced by Nebria salina in some drier habitats, including peatlands and the summit moraine of mountains.

Distribution: A European Wide-temperate species (63) found throughout Europe to the Caucasus and Asia Minor. Abundant throughout the British Isles.

Similar Species: Nebria salina: as per brevicollis but slightly smaller and basal segments of middle and hind tarsi glabrous N. rufescens: antennae and palpi completely dark

Key Identification Features:

• Pronotum transverse, cordate (Fig. 7)
• Four basal segments of antennae glabrous
• Upper surface uniformly dark, but
• Antennae and palpi usually pale
• Basal segments of middle and hind tarsi with pubescence on dorsal surface
• Eurytopic but mainly a species of woodland

Distribution Map from NBN: Nebria brevicollis at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Nebria brevicollis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Nebria brevicollis | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Nebria

Thumbnails for genus Nebria