DESCRIPTION:15 to 21 mm in length. A robust and glossy black beetle several similar species. Here the head is quadrate, sporting large eyes, two furrows on the frons and a pair of setiferous punctures over each eye. The antennae are pubescent from the fourth segment onwards. The thorax is sinuate with protruding hind angles and has basal fovea that extend towards the middle. The elytra is striate and lacks punctures. The shoulders of the elytra are rounded. Legs are black with reddish claws and spines. The front tarsi are ventrally glabrous. BEHAVIOUR: Eggs are laid in soil or within leaf litter. The larvae feed throughout the winter months. Adults can breed several weeks after reaching maturity. Groups can be found sheltering together under bark and logs. DISTRIBUTION: Common throughout Britain. HABITAT: Damp woodland, grassland, meadows, hedgerows and moorland. PERIOD: Present all year round but best seen between April to October.