Description: A small (6-7mm) slender black ground beetle living in fens, marshes and mesotrophic peatlands, particularly in Sphagnum pillows and dead leaf litter. Widespread.

NI account: Widespread but local; perhaps overlooked in some areas.

Ecology: A seemingly common inhabitant of fens and other well-vegetated wetlands, also occasionally in Sphagnum on blanket peat.

Distribution: A Eurasian Boreo-temperate species (55) found across Europe south to central France and east into Siberia as far as the River Amur.

Similar Species: Agonum fuliginosum: wings reduced; pronotum much wider than one elytron Agonum thoreyi: tarsi with furrows

Key Identification Features:

• Medium, pronotum narrower than elytra, hind angles rounded
• Legs long and slender
• Mentum with median tooth (Fig. 103)
• Claws simple
• Third antennal segment pubescent, at least apically
• Wings full
• Pronotum barely wider than one elytron
• Upper surface unicolourous black

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

iNaturalist: Agonum gracile at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Agonum gracile | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Agonum

Thumbnails for genus Agonum