Byturus ochraceus

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Description

A small brown species (around 3.5 to 5mm long.) The appearance is very similar to the Raspberry beetle (Byturus tomentosus).

Similar Species

Byturus tormentosus and B. ochraceous are very similar but can be distinguished by careful viewing.

B. tormentosus is slightly smaller (up to 4mm) and has elytra that taper outwards slightly towards the base. It is also lighter brown. Ochraceous is a little larger (up to 5mm), a shade darker, with larger eyes and elytra that are generally parallel-sided. The pronotal margins are also different: tormentosus has a narrow margin visible along most of the base whereas the margin in ochraceous is obscured by the central bulge of the pronotum.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Often seen in numbers on just about any flowers and especially dandelions.

When to see it

B.ochraceus is found through May into early June. Numbers decrease sharply in mid June and by July they are usually gone.

UK Status

Common and widespread in England.

VC55 Status

Common but under recorded in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 15 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.

  • David Nicholls
    Watermead Country Park
    31 May 2010
  • David Nicholls
    Ratby
    30 April 2023
  • Graham Calow
    Jubilee Walk, Leire
    13 May 2014
  • David Nicholls
    Ratby
    30 April 2023
    coarse elytral punctures
  • egaten
    Fosse Meadows
    12 May 2022
  • Barbara Cooper
    Long Clawson
    02 June 2022

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

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

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Species group:
Beetles
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Byturidae
Records on NatureSpot:
22
First record:
31/05/2010 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
07/06/2024 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • Barbara Cooper
    Long Clawson
    02 June 2022
  • Barbara Cooper
    Long Clawson
    02 June 2022
    underside
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    05 May 2014
    specimen examined
  • Alan Semper
    Stonesby Quarry Nature Reserve
    08 May 2015
  • Alan Semper
    Stonesby Quarry Nature Reserve
    08 May 2015
  • egaten
    Bagworth Heath
    06 May 2022