Description: A pubescent, 6.2-9.5mm long, black ground beetle. Found in variety of habitats including gardens and arable land, but usually warm places. Phytophagous. Locally common.

NI account: Very local but common where found. Apparently not in western counties.

Ecology: This is a moderately xerophilous species restricted to free-draining soils and is fairly eurytopic in hedgerows, arable fields, lakeshores and woodland edge habitats.

Distribution: A European Wide-temperate species (63) found across Europe, except the extreme north, south to southern France and east to western Turkestan. Introduced to N. America.

Similar Species: Ophonus puncticeps: basal bead on pronotum present, but thin

Key Identification Features:

• Characteristically stocky, broad, legs short
• Head with one supra orbital puncture
• Hind angles of pronotum without setae
• Elytral epipleura uncrossed
• Third elytral intervals with setiferous puncture(s)
• Entire upper surface, including head and frons, punctate and pubescent

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

iNaturalist: Ophonus rufibarbis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Ophonus rufibarbis | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Ophonus

Thumbnails for genus Ophonus