Bembidion obtusum

Description

A small (3 to 3.5mm) black or brown-black ground beetle. Raised keel on shoulder of elytra is characteristic. 

Identification difficulty
ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)
  • last segment of the palps narrowed (pin-palp) = Bembidion genus
  • 2.8-3.5mm
  • black or dark brown
  • legs brown but with mainly black femora
  • pronotum rounded, hind angle sharp but not toothed 
  • elytra with sharp shoulder angles
  • head unpunctured with short frontal furrows
Habitat

Open soils in gardens and arable land.

When to see it

All year round.

UK Status

This species seems to have a pronounced south-easterly distribution in Britain with only a handful of Scottish and Welsh records.

VC55 Status

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. 

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Species group:
insect - beetle (Coleoptera)
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Carabidae
Records on NatureSpot:
9
First record:
27/04/1997 (Derek Lott)
Last record:
28/02/2019 (Calow, Graham)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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