Alpine Dung Beetle vs Red Milkweed Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Alpine Dung Beetle Red Milkweed Beetle
Scientific Name Geotrupes alpinus Tetraopes tetrophthalmus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Geotrupidae Cerambycidae
Size 12-18 mm 9-14 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Dung Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians Eastern North America
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.

Red Milkweed Beetle

A bright red beetle with black spots, exclusively associated with common milkweed. Its antennae bisect its compound eyes, giving it four apparent eyes.

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Did You Know?

Its scientific name means 'four eyes, four eyes,' referring to how antennae split each eye in two.