Description: A spectacular (7.5-9mm), hairy black ground beetle with a conspicuous red cross on the elytra. Very hygrophilous, occurring at the margins of standing or slow-flowing water amongst rich vegetation. Local and rare.

NI account: There are a number of modern Irish records for this rare species ranging from Askeaton in Co Limerick (Alan Brown) north to Toormakeady, Lough Mask (John Owen) and east to Edenmore Bog Co. Longford (Brian Seery). Older records for Corofin and Finlough, Clare and for Menlough and Portumna, Galway are given by Speight et al. (1983). While it has declined in Britain and northern parts of its European range in recent decades, the range in Ireland seems stable.

Ecology: Hygrophilous on the well-vegetated, muddy margins of lakes and rivers. In Ireland, muddy turloughs are also occupied.

Distribution: Has a Eurasian Wide-temperate distribution (65) but is predominantly southern and eastern in Europe, north to the southern British Isles and southern Fennoscandia. Also in north Africa, Asia Minor and Siberia east to the Amur.

Similar Species: Colour and form characteristic

Key Identification Features:

• Medium, head squarish (Fig. 88)
• Eyes protruding
• Broad, asymmetrical terminal segments of palpi (Fig. 88)
• Elytra with two large, bright red, spots, posterior spots touching side margin of elytra

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

iNaturalist: Panagaeus cruxmajor at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Panagaeus cruxmajor | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Panagaeus

Thumbnails for genus Panagaeus