This Agabus species is easily recognisable by the wavy lines on it's back, as the suffix undulatus points out. The 7.5 mm long specimen on the picture above was caught in a little canalised stream. According to Foster & Friday (2011), Agabus undulatus is an inhabitant of permanent, well vegetated stagnant water in fenland, and there is a single record for a stream. Van Nieukerken (1992) mentions that the beetle is also found in canalised streams. The stream in which the beetle was found, is never completely dry.

The pictures below show that the wavy line is attached to a bright sideline that finishes on the rear half of the wing cases (elytra). This feature causes the illusion that there are two separate light spots on that spot when viewed from above, and from that viewing position we may also see two pale dots on the rear, which are in effect two small vertical stripes as can be seen from aside. A closer look at the spot and lines reveals these are places where the darker colouring is not present, so it's the pale chitin we see there. Click on the "page 3 picture below to see that more clearly.

Click on one of the pictures below to see more of Agabus undulatus.

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