Description: A small (2-3mm) shiny-black fossorial ground beetle found on most types of moist ground, particularly bare peat and mud.

NI account: Widely distributed and common across Ireland.

Ecology: Moderately eurytopic and not restricted to riparian habitats nor dependent upon members of the staphylinid genus Bledius as items of prey, which makes it unique among Irish Dyschirius. Most records are for open, well-drained riparian habitats but it has also been taken on the seashore and on clayey pasture inland. Occasionally recorded from peat on the drier parts of heather moors.

Distribution: A Eurasian Wide-temperate species (65) found across the whole of Europe to eastern Siberia.

Similar Species: Other Dyschirius: larger; abdomen elongate; lateral bead on pronotum reaching basal setae; feed on, and associated with, burrowing staphylinid beetles of the genus Bledius

Key Identification Features:

• Very small (2.2-3mm)
• Brassy, elongate, cylindrical and with a 'waist'
• Fore legs adapted for digging
• Abdomen shorter and more rounded than other species
• Lateral bead on pronotum not reaching basal setae (Fig. 22)
• Not associated with Bledius

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

iNaturalist: Dyschirius globosus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Dyschirius globosus | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Dyschirius

Thumbnails for genus Dyschirius