Ant Nest Beetle vs Jeweled Flower Mantis

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ant Nest Beetle Jeweled Flower Mantis
Scientific Name Paussus favieri Creobroter gemmatus
Order Coleoptera Mantodea
Family Carabidae Hymenopodidae
Size 5-8mm 30-40 mm
Habitat Heathland Underground
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Europe, Africa Asia
Conservation Data Deficient Least Concern

Ant Nest Beetle

A bizarre reddish-brown beetle with swollen club-shaped antennae that lives inside ant nests. It mimics ant chemical signals to avoid detection.

💡

Did You Know?

It secretes chemicals from its antennae that drug the ants into a stupor allowing it to freely eat their brood.

Jeweled Flower Mantis

A small, brilliantly colored mantis with green and cream body and striking green eyespots ringed with cream on its forewings. It is a jewel of the Asian tropics.

💡

Did You Know?

Jeweled flower mantises have been observed preferentially hunting near ultraviolet-reflecting flowers, which attract the greatest number of pollinating insects.