Leaf beetles are some of our most beautiful insects comprising of all shades of bright metallic colours. They belong to the family Chrysomelidae. 256 species are known to exist in Britain.The Alder leaf beetle (agelastica alni) is a small dark blue coloured leaf beetle, that inhabits trees such as alder, hazel, hornbeam and a few others. It was thought to be extinct for a while in Britain as it was not recorded for a long period of time, however it is not extinct as many people have recorded it in recent years across England. I found a specimen myself in a Dorset wildlife Trust nature reserve just yesterday.
Ground beetles are many. They belong to the family Carabidae and over 725 are known from Europe with 364 known from the UK.There are many similar species of these fast moving predatory animals. Amara species are quite difficult to tell apart as their colours vary. They maybe omnivorous and have a habit of climbing low plants and perching on the tops, to bask or to hunt.
