Description: 6-8mm long black ground beetle found on sand or gravel, usually morainic or ranker soils, also Rhacomitrium heath, on mountain tops. Predatory on larvae of moss-feeding pill beetles (Byrrhus spp.).

NI account: A recent addition to the Irish List collected by Alexander (1993) on the summit of Slieve Donard, Down. Since then, taken in pitfall traps on Calluna heath north of Glendun, Antrim (Anderson & McFerran, 1996). May occur elsewhere but likely to be very local.

Ecology: A northern species, usually reported from gravelly substrata or other well drained places in mountains. On Slieve Donard it was recorded from summit breccia with its prey species, Byrrhus pilula L. (Alexander, 1993).

Distribution: A circumpolar Boreo-arctic Montane species (26) largely confined to the northern part of Europe and Siberia across to northern North America. A rare relict in central Europe (Austrian and Swiss Alps; Marggi, 1992), but widespread if local on mountains in northern England and the Scottish Highlands (Luff, 1998).

Similar Species: Broscus: large, dull; pronotum with anterior and posterior lateral setae Dyschirius/Clivina: less than 6.5mm; 3rd antennal segment shorter than 2nd; forelegs adapted for digging

Key Identification Features:

• Small to medium, cylindrical species (~8mm)
• Pronotum and elytra joined by a narrow waist (peduncle)
• Forelegs not adapted for digging
• Pronotum only with anterior lateral setae
• 3rd antennal segment 2 times as long as 2nd

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

iNaturalist: Miscodera arctica at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Miscodera arctica | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Miscodera

Thumbnails for genus Miscodera