Common grammoptera
At just 3 to 7 mm long, it ranks among the smallest longhorn beetles in Europe, and its red and black banded antennae help separate it from its two closest relatives.
| Where | Woodland edges, hedgerows and blossom |
|---|---|
| Size | 3 to 7 mm body length |
| When | April to July |
The Common grammoptera is a small, dark longhorn beetle with silky hairs giving the wing cases a faint sheen, reddish legs and antennae banded in red and black.
Adults emerge in spring and are found on hawthorn and other blossom, where they feed on pollen before the flowering season ends in early summer.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Black, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Does not bite or sting; a tiny beetle usually noticed while feeding on blossom.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Slightly larger at 5 to 9 mm and more golden in appearance due to pale hairs on the elytra, lacking the elongated second antennal segment of the Common grammoptera.
Questions
Is the Common grammoptera dangerous to people?
Does not bite or sting; a tiny beetle usually noticed while feeding on blossom.
When can you see the Common grammoptera?
The Common grammoptera can be seen from April to July, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Gunnar Engan, Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Beetles›Longhorn beetles›Grammoptera
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.