Description: A 5.2-6.4mm long, rather flattened dark brown ground beetle with four prominent white spots on the elytra. Found beneath bark and on trunks of trees. Widely distributed.

NI account: Widespread and by far the most commonly encountered arboreal Dromius.

Ecology: Arboreal and mostly on deciduous trees. A breakdown of recent records: sycamore (11); alder Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaert. (3); European spruce (3); willow Salix sp. (2); apple Malus sp. (2); Sitka spruce (2); lime Tilia sp. (1); horse chestnut (1).

Distribution: A European temperate species (73) distributed across Europe, except the extreme north, east to the Caucasus.

Similar Species: Dromius spilotus: smaller (3.8-4.6mm); hind angles of pronotum protruding, sharp (Fig. 98)

Key Identification Features:

• Small, flat, elongate, with small pronotum
• Elytra parallel-sided and truncate
• 4th tarsal segments sometimes emarginate at apex, never broad or bilobed, claws dentate
• Size 5.2-6.4mm
• Elytra with complete basal bead
• Elytra black with two large yellow spots on each
• Pronotum with broadly rounded hind angles

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

iNaturalist: Dromius quadrimaculatus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Dromius quadrimaculatus | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Dromius

Thumbnails for genus Dromius