Ground Beetles of Ireland
Dyschirius salinus
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 © Roy Anderson |
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Dyschirius salinus Schaum, 1843
Description: Small (3.5-4mm), bronze-black burrowing ground beetle. Coastal species, mainly burrowing in silts and muds of estuaries and saltmarshes at the top end of the shore.
World Distribution: A European Wide-temperate species (63) found along the coasts in Europe to north Africa and east to Kirghizia. Also at saline places inland.
Irish Status: A coastal species which though widespread is very local.
Ecology: Halobiontic and associated with clayish or fine-sand saltmarsh banks. At Murlough National Nature Reserve, which has D. impunctipennis and D. salinus together in a small saltmarsh area, there is a clear division in habitat preference. D. salinus has been collected on vegetated, very fine, clayish sand in the main body of the saltmarsh, whereas D. impunctipennis is restricted to small areas of pure, fine sand on the steep banks of saltmarsh runnels.