Description: A small (6-8mm) attractive metallic-green ground beetle with orange patches on the elytra. Common in gardens and farmland in hedgerows, under stones and in litter and tussocks etc. Especially in spring.

NI account: Widespread and seasonally common on low ground.

Ecology: In common with Agonum muelleri, this species is not very hygrophilous and has been recorded mainly on agricultural land, especially around piles of stones or dead wood in hedge bottoms. It is a common predator in arable fields in Europe (Jensen et al., 1989). In Northern Ireland it frequently hibernates as loose aggregations on dryish, sheltered hedgebanks. A typical member of the fauna of town gardens, a habitat in which A. muelleri is only occasional. Commonest in spring.

Distribution: A Eurosiberian Southern-temperate (84) species distributed across the whole of Europe except the north to the Mediterranean, north Africa and into south-western Siberia.

Similar Species: Unique colour pattern.

Key Identification Features:

• Medium, bicoloured green and yellow
• Pronotum cordate
• Legs long and slender
• Mentum with median tooth (Fig. 103)
• Claws simple
• Legs pale
• Tarsi without median furrow
• Elytra with 3 setiferous punctures

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

iNaturalist: Anchomenus dorsalis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Anchomenus dorsalis | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Anchomenus

Thumbnails for genus Anchomenus