Description: A moderate-sized (10-12mm) Amara with elongate elytra, living under seaweed and debris on the strandline and under leaf rosettes etc in sand dunes near the south coast. Phytophagous.

NI account: Removed from the Irish List by Speight et al. (1983) on lack of evidence and re-instated by Anderson (1991) on the basis of a collection made at Tramore, Waterford. Known from older records for the Cork area and for Castlemaine Harbour, Kerry (Johnson & Halbert, 1902). There are recent records for Newbridge Wood, Wexford, Kilmallin, Wicklow and Djouce Mountain, Wicklow (pers. comm. of T. Bolger)

Ecology: Usually a coastal species inhabiting sandy or marshy seashores, and occasionally dump sites as was the case at Tramore.

Distribution: A Eurosiberian temperate species (74) found across Europe to southern France, and east, via saline places inland, to the Caspian Sea and southern Siberia.

Similar Species: One of three large Amara or Curtonotus in Ireland (others are C. aulicus, A. eyrinota). C. aulicus: hind angles of pronotum stronger, lateral bead disappearing at base; body flatter, broader (Fig. 84)

Key Identification Features:

• Body stout and a characteristic 'oval' shape
• Head with two supra orbital punctures
• Elytra lacking pore-puncture at base of scutellar stria
• Terminal spur of pro-tibia simple
• Hind angles of pronotum strongly protruding, acute (Fig. 84)
• Shoulder tooth absent (Fig. 85)
• Body narrow, convex, brown-black, bronzed, appendages pale

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

iNaturalist: Curtonotus convexiusculus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Amara convexiuscula | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Amara

Thumbnails for genus Amara