Stenagostus rhombeus

Adult beetles are up to 20 mm in length. It is quite an elongated species of click beetle that is predominantly orange/brown in colour over the head, pronotum and elytra. Approximately half way down the elytra there is usually a slightly darker crossline curving towards the pronotum, with another crossline further towards the posterior of the elytra curving down towards the tips. The legs and antennae are uniformly orange/brown.

Usually found in areas with bushes or trees, often in woodland.

The larvae are associated predominantly with Beech, but are reported from a number of other broadleaved species. They occur under loose bark of dead trees and sometimes in the wood layers just beneath. They are predatory feeding on the larvae of Longhorn Beetles (Cerambycidae). Two, possibly more summers are spent in the larval stage, with pupation occurring in the spring.

This species is fairly common in southern England and the Midlands north to west Yorkshire. Scattered records in Wales, absent from Scotland.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 37 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.