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Adult range from 6.2 to 8.8 mm in length (Lindroth, 1968) with males ranging from 7 - 7.5 mm and females 7 - 8.5 mm (Avgine and Emre, 2009). Adult body narrow and flat, black bright upper surface with brassy, greenish or rarely bluish reflection. Eyes are flatter than A. familiaris. Prothorax with front angles protruded, absence of convex surface (fovea) on outer prothorax while inner surface has sharp, short streak parallel to the median line. Elytra with fine striae, each with 3 sub-apical punctures. Male genitals slightly S-shaped at apex (side view) with hooked lateral lobes (parameres) (Lindroth, 1968).

Adults overwinter in soil and emerge in spring to reproduce (Lindroth, 1992). There are three larval instars that feed on weed seeds and also on the immature stages of other insects. Larvae pupate inside upper layer of soil and emerge as adults (Saska and Jarosik, 2001).

Adults and larvae are omnivorous, feeding on a range of arthropods (Hurka, 1996, Klimes and Saska, 2010). Larvae also feed on weed seeds (Saska and Jarosik, 2001), and have higher survivorship on a mixed diet of insect prey and weed seeds than sole feeding on either of the two diets (Hurka and Jarosik, 2003). Larvae and adults have been recorded in abundance in apple orchards colonizing weedy areas on species like chickweed, Stellaria media (L.) (OMAFRA, 1996).

Mainly Palearctic in distribution. Introduced into North America from Europe. Species in its distribution is much restricted to northeastern North America. Reported in Canada from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario (Lindroth, 1968, CBIF, 2010).