Approximately 1cm long. Ampedus balteatus is an attractive black and red click beetle - the predominantly red elytra turning black around two thirds down their length.

Fairly wide ranging from broadleaved and mixed woodland to heath land and peat moorlands.

The larvae develop in various tree species and utilise rotten stumps and branches. Pupation occurs in the autumn. Adults are diurnal and can be found resting sometimes quite conspicuously in foliage.

Fairly common and widely distributed in England and Wales. Only a handful of records from northern and central Scotland.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 23 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.