WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Widespread and fairly common in the south, mainly around coasts; very scattered further North. Habitat includes: Flower-rich places with free-draining, light, sandy soils such as coasts, chalk / limestone downland, wasteland, meadows, gardens etc. Diet: Adults feed on nectar and pollen from open flowers such as Oxeye Daisy, Umbellifers etc., Larvae feed on decaying plant matter, leaf litter, turf. Flight period: May to August. Length: 7 - 10 mm. ID: Very similar to the much rarer Lagria atripes which is larger (10 - 12 mm as opposed to 7 - 10 mm), has a pronotum with a longitudinal smooth and glabrous area on the disc (L. hirta has the pronotum entirely strongly and closely punctured), central impression deepened anteriorly (L. hirta has the central impression shallow throughout), scutellum is black or nearly so and is larger than in L. hirta (which has a small scutellum and is only a little darker than the elytra); elytral pubescence forming a feathered pattern, eyes are larger and more deeply incised (L. hirta has the elytral pubescence uniform, eyes smaller and less deeply incised).

My notes:

It apparently likes to play dead when disturbed.