Description: A colourful 6-8mm long metallic green and orange ground beetle whose larvae are parasitic on the pupae of leaf beetles of the genus Chrysolina. Usually found in the pupal cells of the host under bark and stones. Few records.

NI account: Its status as an Irish species rests on three old collections. Johnson & Halbert (1902) cite records for Lough Swilly, Donegal, Wooden Bridge, Wicklow and Wexford.

Ecology: In Europe it is reported from wet meadows and richly vegetated grassland or woodland edge habitats on clay soils.

Distribution: A Eurosiberian Wide-temperate species (64) distributed from Europe, except the extreme north and extreme south, eastwards to the Caucasus and western Siberia.

Similar Species: Colour and form characteristic

Key Identification Features:

• Medium (5.7-8.1mm), brightly coloured
• Elytra truncate or sinuate at apex (Fig. 97)
• Elytra broad and expanding apically
• Pronotum sinuate at base
• Neck strongly constricted
• Pronotum red, elytra metallic green or blue-green

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

iNaturalist: Lebia chlorocephala at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Lebia chlorocephala | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebia

Thumbnails for genus Lebia