Chlaenius sericeus
Chlaenius sericeus
Size: 11-19mm
Seasonality: March-November
Distribution; throughout Canada, the USA, and Northern Mexico
Information: found along the banks of rivers, lakes, and other waterways; primarily nocturnal, may be seen during the day under stones and plant material along the banks. On occasion a semi-iridescent brown variant may be stumbled across, not particularly common.
Description: body: ovate, semi-robust. Dorsal colouration: head bright, metallic green or green-blue, pronotal disk iridescent green, slightly duller than the head, head punctate. Ventral faces: dark, sparse pubescence scattered across ventral faces. Legs dark or pale yellow-orange. Head triangular, face long, base of the head weakly constricted into a neck. Mandibles reddish-orange, inner margin black, tips curved. Labrum short, rather brod; rectangular. Lower mouth parts and first three antennal segments orange or dark yellow; rest of antennae dark; full antennal pubescence begins on the second antennomere following the pedicel, with only a small amount of pubescence on the first following the pedicel. Eyes not reduced in size, but do not bulge strongly. Pronotum semi-quadrate; anterior margin transverse, or nearly so; anterior angles acute, jutting forward slightly; lateral margins rounded, rounding forward beginning at the midway point, or sinuous (see dorsal image 2); hind angles weakly obtuse, or squared; basal margin weakly sinuous. Pronotal disk heavily micropunctate; median line varies in definition. Scutellum exposed. 8-9 shallow, occasionally thinly pitted striae per elytron, intervals flat. Elytra should be fully pubescent. Humeral shoulders obtuse, sloping apically; lateral margins rounded; apices pointed slightly, rounded.
Larval photo and information at bottom of page.
Larvae: head dark orange-red, legs pale yellow, pronota and tergites dark blue, nearly black, urgomorphi dark brown, jaws narrow; sickle-like, with one small toothlike projection near the middle of the inner part of the mandible. Predatory, found generally in same habitat as adults, amongst leaf litter and under stones.
Body length: from around 3mm to ~20 mm.