Phalacrus fimetarius

Description

A very small (2 to 3.5 mm) shiny black beetle, oval, convex above and flat below, continuous in outline.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

On grasses and flowers especially in chalk and limestone areas.

When to see it

April to October.

Life History

The larvae feed on plants affected by smut fungus.

UK Status

Mainly found in southern Britain and sometimes local in distribution, this tiny species may be under recorded.

VC55 Status

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland although it may go undetected due to its small size. There were only 2 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.

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:
Phalacridae
Records on NatureSpot:
1
First record:
10/11/2022 (Sexton, Timothy)
Last record:
10/11/2022 (Sexton, Timothy)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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