Alpine Dung Beetle vs Hildebrand's Jewel Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Alpine Dung Beetle Hildebrand's Jewel Beetle
Scientific Name Geotrupes alpinus Sternocera hildebrandti
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Geotrupidae Buprestidae
Size 12-18 mm 30-50 mm
Habitat Grasslands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Dung Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Alpine Dung Beetle

A sturdy, dark dung beetle of high-altitude pastures grazed by livestock. It buries dung underground where its larvae develop.

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Did You Know?

A single pair can bury a dung ball several times their own body weight in one night.

Hildebrand's Jewel Beetle

A large, robust jewel beetle with a deep metallic green body covered in fine punctures. It emerges in large numbers after seasonal rains in semi-arid areas.

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Did You Know?

Its metallic coloration is so vivid that dead specimens retain their brilliance for decades, making them prized by collectors.