# Malachite beetle (*Malachius bipustulatus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/malachite-beetle  
Data as of: 2026-11-14

The malachite beetle (Malachius bipustulatus) is a species in the family Melyridae, order Coleoptera. Recorded adults reach 6.62 mm in length. Source checklists list it for 1 country: Switzerland.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 6.62 mm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Main food | flowers |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | 1 country |

## Recorded prey and predators

Recorded prey: Acalypta carinata (*Acalypta carinata*), Amblytylus nasutus (*Amblytylus nasutus*), Chlamydatus pulicarius (*Chlamydatus pulicarius*), Dicranotropis hamata (*Dicranotropis hamata*), Ditropsis flavipes (*Ditropsis flavipes*), Halticus apterus (*Halticus apterus*), Javesella pellucida (*Javesella pellucida*), Small brown planthopper (*Laodelphax striatellus*), Megalonotus emarginatus (*Megalonotus emarginatus*), Nysius ericae (*Nysius ericae*), Ribautodelphax albostriata (*Ribautodelphax albostriata*), Scolopostethus affinis (*Scolopostethus affinis*). Recorded predators: Cucumber green spider (*Araniella cucurbitina*), Common stretch spider (*Tetragnatha extensa*), Oak spider (*Aculepeira ceropegia*), Tent spider (*Pisaura mirabilis*). Each pair is recorded by at least two datasets compiled by Global Biotic Interactions (https://www.globalbioticinteractions.org/, CC0 1.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Coleoptera
- family: Melyridae
- genus: Malachius
- species: *Malachius bipustulatus* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Cantharis bipustulata*

## Countries on record

Countries where Catalogue of Life checklists list the species. Many checklists carry no country data, so the list is often incomplete. It is not a range map.

Switzerland

## Common questions

### How big is the malachite beetle?

An adult malachite beetle measures 6.62 mm long, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Where does the malachite beetle live?

Catalogue of Life checklists list the malachite beetle for 1 country: Switzerland. Checklist coverage is uneven, so the true range may be wider.

### What does the malachite beetle eat?

Its recorded main food is flowers.

### What kind of animal is the malachite beetle?

The malachite beetle (Malachius bipustulatus) belongs to the family Melyridae in the order Coleoptera.

### What eats the malachite beetle?

Animals recorded preying on the malachite beetle include cucumber green spider, common stretch spider, oak spider and tent spider. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

### Which animals does the malachite beetle eat?

Animals recorded as prey of the malachite beetle include acalypta carinata, amblytylus nasutus, chlamydatus pulicarius and dicranotropis hamata. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI): interpreted data products](https://www.globalbioticinteractions.org/), CC0 1.0, 0.11. Poelen, J.H., Simons, J.D. & Mungall, C.J. (2014) Global Biotic Interactions: an open infrastructure to share and analyze species-interaction datasets. Ecological Informatics 24: 148–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2014.08.005. Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22691479, with each record's original reference.
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844

Cite as: Malachite beetle (Malachius bipustulatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/malachite-beetle