Ctenicera cuprea

Length 11 to 16 mm. A large, very elongated and variable species. Colour combinations include dark yellow elytra with green tips and a green pronotum, wholly green or wholly purple. There is a conspicuous dipped line down the centre of the pronotum and the elytra are ridged. Most specimens have a very metallic appearance. Males have very long and pectinate antennae, whilst females have shorter and plainer, but noticeably segmented antennae. The legs are black.

Associated with heath and moorland habitat.

Adults are usually seen from May to July - males are particularly conspicuous resting at the tops of grasses and on flowers of umbellifers and thistles.

Larvae develop in soil.

Fairly frequent species in the north and west of England and Wales and in much of Scotland. Range extends down to Northamptonshire, with scattered records in the south-west.

Rather local in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were approximately 26 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.