Size: 8.8-10mm

Seasonality: December-August

Distribution; BC, WA, OR, ID, CA, NV, AZ, UT, NM, MX-BCN, MX-SO

Information: along the Pacific Ocean: often found scurrying among, or resting on/under sand, stones, and debris during the day. Primarily nocturnal, many become most active after sun down, at which point they tend to spend the warmest part of the night (when it is not raining or snowing) mating and hunting for small invertebrates. Inland, away from the ocean: may be found during the day under stones and plant debris along streams, brooks, ditches, rivers, and lakes. Nocturnal activity is identical to their oceanside kin.

Description: body: elongate-ovate, slender to semi-broad. Ventral colouration: glossy black, legs black; red morphs have a reddish-orange prothorax and legs. Elytra glossy black, pronotum may be dull orange, pale or bright red, or black with opaque, dull red margins>>margins well developed, generally wider. Minor wrinkles rib outwards from the pronotal median line. Pronotum constricted at base; cordate. Slight impressions near dorsal hind angles of pronotum, median line does not span fully to median of basal margin. Head black, no wrinkles nor ridges; smooth. Antennae: dark red, pale pubescence begins on the second antennomere after the pedicel, final four segments pale. 8-9 deep striae per elytron, no elytral pubescence. Base of pronotum slightly overlapping the elytral base, point of scutellum partially exposed. Apical points of elytra pointed, but rounded off.

Red morph: Pale orange antennae, pale or dark red head and pronotum, palps pale orange, legs orange, elytra and abdomen glossy black.