Description

Over all length 5.5 to 6mm. A hairy, blue/green metallic beetle, similar to the Malachite Beetle but with less red, sometimes none, at the tips of the elytra.

Habitat

Woodland edge, hedgerows, meadows and brown-field sites. The larvae are probably predators of small insects in bark or rotting wood. The adults feed on pollen, favouring Ox-eye Daisies, umbellifers and, in spring, Hawthorn.

Status and distribution

Much less common and more local than the Malachite Beetle, with a bias towards the south and east of England. Uncommon in Nottinghamshire and recorded once at Netherfield Lagoons.

Best time to see

May to August.