Harpalus affinis (Schrank, 1781)
Female	Common across England and Wales though less so in the north. Local in Scotland. Although occasionally encountered in woodland and under logs or loose bark on wood margins it is essentially an insect of dry habitats; open farmland, parks and gardens and coastal sand dunes. Easily found around Watford by searching pathways in parks and gardens with a torch at night from early spring until late July when numbers begin to fall. Warm evenings in June will produce specimens every few metres along the kilometres of paths in Cassiobury park. Flies readily so, as we have found, common even in Watford town centre in the spring. Breeds mainly in the spring but also to a lesser extent in summer and autumn so both adults and larvae overwinter. 8.5-12mm. Black, generally with strong metallic reflection, usually green but varies from bronze through coppery to violet or almost red. Margins of pronotum and elytra (at least towards apex) reddish. Appendages pale, light brown to red. Antennae with only two basal segments glabrous. Head glabrous and shining, clypeus in front of tranverse suture and labrum dull from microsculpture just visible at X20. Inside border of eye with a single setiferous puncture. Pronotum bordered laterally and basally although this may be interrupted at middle of base, front angles weakly protruding and evenly rounded, hind angles obtuse and rounded without setae. Basal fovea broad and weakly impressed, with coarse puncturation which may continue along base to middle and forward in front of fovea to centre of pronotum. Entire surface very finely punctate. Elytra with transverse microsculpture (X20) and well impressed striae, 9 across centreline, with fine puncturation and pubescence apically and laterally along outer 2 or 3 interstices, others smooth and glabrous. Second stria generally with 1-3 punctures which may be weak and need careful searching for, one towards apex is usually obvious. (we have several females without dorsal puncture.) Epipleurs uncrossed. Strongly sinuate subapically in female. Tarsi glabrous above ¹, first segment of hind tarsi much longer than tibial spur (Anisodactylus). Pro and meso tarsi dilated in male. � Harpalus calceatus Duft, known from only a few single records, has tarsi pubescent above and lacks dorsal punctures on third interval. Suspect specimens should be verified. Description from 8 Watford specimens at X20 See also ID Aids for a guide to other pubescent Harpalus
Female	Male
Female	Male
Female	Male
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