Length 10 to 14 mm. This is a large, black ground beetle. Legs and antennae are usually red but can be dark. It has a relatively smooth outline, with the pronotum and elytra more or less forming a continuous line.

• 10-14mm
• All black, legs usually red but can be dark
• 1st antennal segment brighter red
• Pronotum gently rounded, base coarsely punctuated
• Elytral base margin strongly sinuate
• 3rd and 5th striae with dorsal punctures
• Male has dilated front tarsi

Dry open ground, including gardens and arable land.

All year round.

Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain.

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 121 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.