Size: 10-16.5mm

Seasonality: Mid-March through early to mid-November

Distribution; s. BC, w. WA, w. OR, nw. CA, across Europe, into Russia, s. to Greece and s. Italy

Information: Generally found to prefer areas with abundant leaf litter or other forms of groundcover (i.e. fields, curbsides, lawns.)  Largely nocturnal, but can be found on hot sidewalks during heat waves, attempting to secure a sheltered place away from direct sunlight.  Omnivorous, primarily deeds upon small soft-bodied organisms, but will also consume grass seeds.

Description: Mature adults have uniformly matte black elytra, pronotal disc, and head, overall body type: elongate-ovate, slender. Legs, coxae, trochanters, and palpi all can vary in colour from one fuscipes to another. In some specimens, they may be pale orange, dark orange, black, black with red tibiae/tarsi, pale red, or dark red.

The third and fifth elytral striae should have a few foveae, usually between 3 and 5 on each.  Antennae pale or dark orange, covered (starting at the first segment after the scapus) with a layer of fine, pale setae.  Antennal segments further from the head often are of a darker colouration than those which are nearer. Striae (7-8 on each elytron) may be more pronounced in some individuals more than in others.   Pronotum of C.fuscipes widest at the basal region, the margins taper steadily towards the head.  The base of the pronotum often overlaps onto the elytral shoulders, as seen in the two dorsal shots in the top right-hand corner of this page.   The dorsal faces nearest the hind angles of the pronotum are riddled with numerous micropunctures.    Two setae may be found above each eye, two above the clypeus, four on the dorsal face of the pronotum; one on each of the hind angles, one near each of the front pronotal angles.

10-12 pale setae may be found along the margins of the carabid's elytral margins.