Amara consularis

This beetle came to light. My initial impressions were that it looked much like Amara apricaria but the ridge in the corner of the pronotum seemed more oblique. When I came to inspect it more closely I thought if was perhaps proportionately broader (though not as much as some Amara) and perhaps a touch redder than at least some apricaria.

I initially keyed it using Hackston and arrived fairly straightforwardly at consularis. The description of habitat there didn't quite fit the exact site where I found it (though it exists nearby). There was only a very short concavity at the hind angles of the pronotum so given it was a new species for me and not especially common I figured it would be prudent to check it against Duff as well. Duff took me straight to consularis as well, and offered some additional confirmatory characters at one or two couplets where I might have been in doubt. Amara apricaria was indeed eliminated by the angle of the ridge at the corner of the pronotum, but also by the fact that the bothrium was situated at the end of this ridge, between it and the rear border of the pronotum, rather than between the ridge and the side of the pronotum as in apricaria.

The beetle was 7.7mm long and the elytra were 3.5mm wide (in total).

Amara consularis showing prosternal process and corner of pronotum (2 views), Hoe Rough (Norfolk, UK), 23rd August 2023

This came to light in my garden. The specimen was covered in moth scales and then unfortunately became quite mouldy before I examined it and I nearly disposed of it without securing an identification. However there was just enough reason to think it might not be one of the Amara that I'm more familiar with so I set about scraping off the mould from the bits that mattered like the corners of the pronotum.

female Amara consularis showing pronotum and rear corner of pronotum (2 views), North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 13th August 2025