Alpine Longhorn Beetle vs Pictured Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Alpine Longhorn Beetle	Pictured Rove Beetle
Scientific Name	Rosalia alpina	Paederus littoralis
Order	Coleoptera	Coleoptera
Family	Cerambycidae	Staphylinidae
Size	15-40 mm	7-10mm
Habitat	Woodlands	Wetlands
Diet	Wood Feeders	Predators
Regions	Europe	Europe, Asia, Africa
Conservation	Vulnerable	Least Concern

Alpine Longhorn Beetle

A strikingly beautiful blue-grey beetle with black spots, listed on multiple European conservation directives. Depends on old-growth beech forests with standing dead wood.

💡

Did You Know?

This beetle is so dependent on ancient beech forests that a single dead tree can support an isolated population for decades — but when that tree is gone, so is the colony.

Pictured Rove Beetle

A slender black and orange rove beetle with short elytra exposing most of its abdomen. It contains the toxin pederin which causes severe skin blisters.

💡

Did You Know?

Pederin produced by symbiotic bacteria in the beetle is more potent drop for drop than cobra venom but is only released when the beetle is crushed on skin.