Alder Leaf Beetle vs North African Bombardier Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Alder Leaf Beetle North African Bombardier Beetle
Scientific Name Agelastica alni Brachinus humeralis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Carabidae
Size 6-7 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Heathland
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, Western Asia North Africa, Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Alder Leaf Beetle

A metallic dark violet-blue beetle that feeds on alder trees. Heavy infestations can completely defoliate alder trees along waterways.

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Did You Know?

After being absent from Britain for decades, it dramatically recolonised southern England in the early 2000s.

North African Bombardier Beetle

A bombardier beetle found in North Africa and the Mediterranean basin. It has a reddish-brown head and thorax with dark blue-black elytra.

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Did You Know?

Like other bombardier beetles it can fire its chemical spray in rapid pulses of up to 500 times per second.