Bug FAQPunctiform Harp Ground Beetle
Agonum punctiforme · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Carabidae
The punctiform harp ground beetle is a small black beetle about 8 mm long with dark-red legs and striated wing covers. It lives in moist habitats such as puddles, forests and meadows, is active at night, and can be seen throughout the year across much of North America. These beetles are predatory, feeding on other small invertebrates.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The beetle’s body is black, its legs are dark red, and its elytra have distinct striations.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They prefer moist areas, often near puddles, and are found in forests and meadows after rain. They are nocturnal, being active during the night.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They are generally predacious, feeding on other small insects and arthropods.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults can be found year-round.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are present throughout all seasons.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs throughout North America, from California to Florida, and north to Ontario and Colorado.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It belongs to the ground beetle family Carabidae and is a North American species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Maryland, Louisiana, Kansas, California, Kentucky.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Carabidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agonum_punctiforme
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.