Donacia vulgaris
Length up to 12mm with females being larger than males. This Reed Beetle has coppery elytra, with a metallic reddish or bluish central area, though the female is less colourful.
Donacia semicuprea is similar but the pronotum has a central longitudinal groove.
Around water plants such as Bulrush and Bur-reed, often low down near to the water.
May to August
The larvae are aquatic.
Fairly frequent and widespread in Britain.
Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 12 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.
David Nicholls
Watermead Country Park
25 June 2010
Barbara Cooper
Long Clawson
25 May 2013
Barbara Cooper
Long Clawson
04 June 2012
near pond with Bur-reed
Paul Ruddoch
Melton Country Park
12 June 2015
Graham Calow
Burbage Common and Woods
13 June 2011
mating pair
Tim Sexton
Rutland Water Nature Reserve
23 July 2021
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MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020
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Species profile
- Species group:
- Beetles
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Coleoptera
- Family:
- Chrysomelidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 10
- First record:
- 25/06/2010 (Nicholls, David)
- Last record:
- 14/06/2022 (Sexton, Timothy)
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.
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Latest images
Latest records
Graham Calow
Burbage Common and Woods
13 June 2011
Graham Calow
Burbage Common and Woods
13 June 2011
mating pair
Fulup
Shearsby
04 June 2016
