Poecilus cupreus (Linnaeus, 1758)

This is one of the most widespread and generally common member of the genus; it is present throughout Europe except for the far north of Fennoscandia and extends through Asia Minor and Russia to eastern Siberia; the nominate subspecies is present throughout most of this range, including the UK, but several others are more local e.g. P. cupreus dimmiki (Lutshnik, 1912) from Ukraine and southwest Russia or P. cupreus erythropus (Dejean, 1828) from southwest Russia and the eastern Palaearctic region. Here it is common and often abundant throughout England and Wales, including all the islands, though more sparse in the north and confined to the south and west in Scotland where it seems to have declined over recent decades.  Adults occur year-round; occasionally in woodland but mostly in open and dry habitats exposed to the sun, usually grassland and pasture but often agricultural land, parkland and even domestic gardens although in central and northern Europe they often prefer permanently damp pasture and even wetland margins with plenty of tall vegetation. They are active on the warmest days in the spring and early summer when they disperse by flight in bright sunshine but they are generally crepuscular and nocturnal and may be found by torchlight on pathways and among vegetation. Reproduction occurs from April until July and larvae develop through the spring and summer, the first new-generation adults appear in August and these will go on to overwinter and breed the following spring and at least some will survive and go on to overwinter and breed for a second time. Larvae are terrestrial predators, feeding upon eggs and larvae of other small arthropods while adults are omnivorous; for most of their active season they predate other insects as well as worms and slugs and will feed on crushed insects on pathways but they also consume grass seeds etc, especially in the spring when they have been known to damage beet seedlings.