Omaloplia ruricola

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    Description

    A small (5 mm to 7.5 mm) and rather hairy beetle, the head, pronotum and scutellum are black, and the elytra reddish-brown with black border.

    Identification difficulty
    Habitat

    Associated with dry calcareous grassland.

    When to see it

    Usually encountered in summer when it will fly both by day and night.

    Life History

    The larvae feed on roots.

    UK Status

    British records of this species come mainly from the south east of England. It is scarce nationally (Notable B).

    VC55 Status

    Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland. The specimen from Bloody Oaks Quarry on 2nd Jul 2015 is possibly the first record of this species in VC55.

    • David Nicholls
      Bloody Oaks
      02 July 2015

    Leicestershire & Rutland Map

    MAP KEY:

    Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
    Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

    UK Map