This beetle has a red shiny appearance with a broad dark band across the elytra.

Found under bark of various trees.

It feeds on fungi and decaying matter, the adult is also a predator of fly larvae.

Once mainly a northern species, it is now being regularly recorded further south, and has been found in most of England and Wales.

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 89 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.