Description: A 6-8mm long ground black and red ground beetle, outwardly identical to Calathus melanocephalus but more closely related to C. mollis. Only recognised as a British and Irish species in 1989. It is associated with sandy areas, especially coastal dunes. Widespread.

NI account: Brought forward as a British insect by Anderson & Luff (1994), who give records for the southern half of Britain and coastal sites in southern counties of Ireland. Subsequently found on the Isle of Man (Luff, 1996) and on dunes on the north coast of Londonderry and Antrim (Anderson, 1999).

Ecology: In Europe, this species is mostly reported from dry heaths and bare sandy places inland, being replaced on the coast by Calathus mollis. In Ireland, the habitat distinction between the two is less clear and both occur in coastal fore dunes. C. cinctus is relatively scarce in this habitat, however, becoming more dominant in sparsely vegetated yellow dunes.

Distribution: Probably widespread in Europe except the extreme north but only recently recognised as a good species separate from C. mollis (Aukema, 1990). We classify it provisionally as European Wide-temperate (63).

Similar Species: Calathus melanocephalus: elytral intervals flat; head and elytra black, elytra with faint greenish reflection; in dune grassland but rarely fore dunes, C. mollis: pronotum brown, like the head and elytra, never rufous; sometimes with cinctus in fore dune habitats

Key Identification Features:

• Body medium-sized, slender, legs long
• Tarsal claws serrate (Fig. 72)
• Pronotum with well-marked hind angles, but not sharp (Fig. 68), as melanocephalus
• Third elytral interval with 3 or more setiferous punctures
• Pronotum clear rufous
• Elytral intervals slightly convex
• Head and elytra dark brown
• In fore dunes only

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

iNaturalist: Calathus cinctus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Calathus cinctus | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Calathus

Thumbnails for genus Calathus