Brush-thighed Seed-eater Harpalus froelichii

The Brush-thighed Seed-eater, Harpalus froelichii, is a medium-sized ground beetle belonging to the family Carabidae, and one of a number of seed-feeding Harpalus species found in Britain. Adults are dark, somewhat bronzed in colour, and can be distinguished from similar congeners by the characteristic brush of pale hairs on the hind femora that gives the species its evocative common name. As the name ‘seed-eater’ suggests, the species is largely phytophagous, feeding on the seeds of low-growing plants – an unusual dietary preference within a family more commonly associated with predatory habits. H. froelichii is a scarce and declining species in Britain, associated with open, sparsely vegetated sandy habitats including coastal dunes and inland sandy heathland. It is considered a notable find and is regarded as an indicator of high-quality, structurally open sandy environments that are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and succession. Image: © Tamás Klózer, iNaturalist

Find out more: iNaturalist, UK Beetle recording, Back from the Brink – species factsheet (pdf)