Return to Coleoptera Index | Insect Index

Family Dasytidae

(often considered as a sub-family within the family Melyridae)

Dasytes virens (Marsham, 1802)

Location: Cambridge, garden. Date: 5 June 2016 Differs from similar species in having second antennal segments yellow to red. Adults of this family are found on flowers and may play some role in pollination. Larvae thought to be predators on other larvae boring in wood. NBN Atlas

Family Malachiidae

(similarly, often considered as a sub-family within the family Melyridae)

Anthocomus fasciatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Location: Cambridge, Gwydir Street. On honeysuckle Lonicera leaf. Date: 15 May 2002 Although only 4mm long, the adult is a predator of even smaller insects. Larvae are predatory on the larvae of wood-boring beetles. NBN Atlas

Anthocomus rufus (Herbst, 1784)

Location: Cambridge, Perse Girls School Nature Reserve TL44645709 Date: 8 Sep 2015 Has a preference for wetter areas around reedbeds and margins. Feeds on flowers and small insects. NBN Atlas

Cordylepherus viridis (Fabricius, 1787)

Barnwell East LNR,Cambridge TL479583: 14 Jun 2021 Slightly smaller and bluer than Malachius bipustulatus (below). Adults are pollen feeders but will also take larvae and small insects while on flower heads./li> NBN Atlas

Common Malachite Beetle Malachius bipustulatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Location: Cambridge, Byron's Pool TL44645709 Date: 26 May 2015 Adults are predators hunting on flowers and amongst grasses; larvae hunt under tree bark. NBN Atlas

Family Byturidae

Byturus ochraceus (Scriba, 1790)

Gwydir Street: 22 May 2002 Often seen in numbers on just about any flowers and especially dandelions. NBN Atlas

Raspberry beetle Byturus tomentosus (De Geer, 1774)

Cambridge, 4 Jun 2016 Larvae are a pest on blackberry, loganberry, etc. as well as raspberry. Adults feed on various flowers. NBN Atlas

Return to Coleoptera Index | Insect Index