Marsh Click Beetle - Actenicerus sjaelandicus

Size 10 to 16mm. A large species, varying in shade from rather grey-brown to chestnut-brown. A fairly dense covering of lighter grey coloured hairs gives the pronotum and elytra a patterned appearance and strong ridges running down the length of the elytra are visible. The legs and antennae are unicolourous with the rest of the insect. The antennae are around the length of the head and pronotum or slightly longer.

Marshy areas and other damp places.

Adults emerge in May and can be found on the leaves and flowers of various herbaceous plants and trees, particularly Willow species and on Sedges.

Larvae develop underground in soil and feed on the roots of a variety of plants. 

Most common in west Wales, becoming scarcer into the Midlands, Norfolk/Suffolk, the south-east and south coast. Isolated populations occur in the north-west of England and north and west Scotland.

Scarce in Leicestershire and Rutland. The specimen from Lea Meadows 22nd May 2015 is only the fourth record for our area (VC55).