Ground Beetle

Ophonus ardosiacus

Just ocassionally on still, warm muggy summer nights, beetles take to the wing in some numbers and are attracted to light.  Saturday was one of those evenings and a number of beetles landed in my moth trap.  One of them was Ophonus ardosiacus, pictured above.  None of the Ophonus ground beetles are common, and O ardosiacus is extremely uncommon in a Wales context.  This is my third record of this species from Rhoose Point which suggests that there may be a self-sustaining population here.

This group of beetles have declined dramatically in recent decades due to the loss of the flower rich habitat they require to provide their food source, seeds.