Description: A pubescent, 8.5-11mm, metallic green beetle with yellow markings on the elytra, found in marshes, reedbeds and on the edges of ponds and lakes. Seemingly very scarce in Ireland.

NI account: Not recorded for many years in northern counties, but taken by Mike Bryan on sandy cliffs at Kilkeel, Co. Down in June 2012. Its status elsewhere seems uncertain with very few modern records, although Speight (1977) reported it from Hodson's Bay on Lough Ree, Co. Roscommon.

Ecology: According to Lindroth (1986) it is found at the margins of small water bodies or on wet, clayish sea slopes.

Distribution: A Eurosiberian Southern-temperate species (84) found across western and southern Europe to Asia Minor and west Siberia. Very rare in southern Scandinavia (Lindroth, 1986).

Similar Species: Other Chlaenius have non-sinuate pronotal hind angles and differ in colour. Agonum marginatum has a similar colour pattern but has rounded hind margins of the pronotum and has a glabrous upper surface.

Key Identification Features:

• Medium to large
• Entire upper surface punctate and pubescent
• Elytra without setiferous punctures
• Upper surface metallic green with broad yellow margins to elytra and thin yellow margins to pronotum
• Pronotum with sharp, sinuate hind angles (Fig. 89)

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

iNaturalist: Chlaenius vestitus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Chlaenius vestitus | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Chlaenius

Thumbnails for genus Chlaenius