The only known specimen was recovered from "freshwater quartz" (German: Süßwasserquarz) quarried in Nogent-le-Rotrou[1] of Centre-Val de Loire, France before 1885.

[4] The only known Anomalites fugitivus fossil was discovered by V. Spigl, a worker in the Prague millstone factory owned by Gabrial Zizka.

The beetle and cavity were saved and shown to Zizka, who in turn entrusted same to Czech paleontologist Antonín Frič for examination.

As such, and in compliance with paleontologist Joachim Barrande's philosophy that fossils should belong to their country of origin, Frič arranged the return of the A. fugitivus beetle to France.

Frič was of the opinion that the shrunken wing casings indicated an individual still finishing pupating, the small cavity containing the beetle being a cast of the cocoon itself.