Alpine Dung Beetle vs Spanish Fly Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Alpine Dung Beetle Spanish Fly Beetle
Scientific Name Geotrupes alpinus Berberomeloe majalis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Geotrupidae Meloidae
Size 12-18 mm 30-70mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Dung Feeders Herbivores
Regions Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians Europe, Africa
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

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.

Spanish Fly Beetle

A huge wingless blister beetle with a massively swollen red and black banded abdomen. The largest European meloid.

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Did You Know?

One of the largest beetle species in Europe with a body so heavy it resembles a fat caterpillar more than a beetle.