Ground Beetles of Ireland
Calathus mollis
| Click on the image to enlarge it in a new window | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 © Roy Anderson |
 Click on map to enlarge it in a new window (Maps updated 30th November 2009) |
||
Calathus mollis (Marsham, 1802)
Description: A 6.5-9mm long pale brownish ground beetle, common in coastal sand dunes.
World Distribution: Distributed along coasts from southern Fennoscandia to the Iberian Peninsula and across the Mediterranean; therefore Mediterranean-Atlantic (91).
Irish Status: Locally abundant in sand dunes along the coast.
Ecology: Very xerophilous, and tied to a narrow zone of loose sand in the fore dunes on the east and south coasts of Ireland. However, on the more exposed north and west coasts it has a slightly wider range, wherever wind-blown sand occurs.