Prosternon tessellatum

Length 9 to 11 mm. Rather rounded in appearance for a click beetle, uniformly dark in colour. Almost the whole of the surface area of the elytra covered in short golden brown hairs (in parts at right angle to striae, in parts parallel, giving the chequered appearance). Legs dark red.

Lowland grasslands often close to watercourses or wet grasslands.

Most often seen in spring and summer (from May onwards)

The larvae develop underground, feeding on decomposing plant material. Imago insects appear in May and can be found resting conspicuously on grass stems, fence posts and flowers of various herbaceous species such as Thistles and Umbellifers.

Widespread and fairly common in England up to north Yorkshire and Cumbria and in Wales. Scattered records from south-west Scotland and further north from the Cairngorms and around the Moray Forth area.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 14 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.