Description: A 5-5.5mm long ground beetle, black with four orange-brown elytral spots, found in muddy conditions in estuarine reedbeds, saltmarshes, muddy strandlines on the coast. Local and scarce.

NI account: Very locally distributed along the north, south and east coasts, but always encountered in small numbers. Possibly declining and vulnerable.

Ecology: Very stenotopic and confined to sea coasts where fresh water enters the sea. It has mainly been recorded from clayish sand, where it hides under stones or Ulva/Enteromorpha mats on or near the strandline.

Distribution: An Oceanic temperate species (71) of very restricted distribution on coasts from south-west Denmark and the southern half of the British Isles to western France.

Similar Species: Four-spotted species of subg. Peryphus: rarely if ever with confluent spots; iridescence on elytra lacking

Key Identification Features:

• Small (4.5-5.5mm)
• Terminal segment of palpi much reduced (Fig. 31)
• Elytral striae disappearing apically and 2nd weaker than 1st
• Pronotum strongly cordate
• Elytra iridescent and with the four elytral spots confluent
• River estuaries

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

iNaturalist: Bembidion maritimum at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Bembidion maritimum | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Bembidion

Thumbnails for genus Bembidion