Ant-Nest Hister Beetle vs Pennsylvania Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ant-Nest Hister Beetle Pennsylvania Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Hetaerius ferrugineus Harpalus pensylvanicus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Histeridae Carabidae
Size 1.5-2.5 mm 13-17 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Detritivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Ant-Nest Hister Beetle

A tiny, reddish-brown hister beetle that lives exclusively inside ant nests. It is tolerated by its ant hosts and feeds on detritus and small arthropods.

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Did You Know?

It produces appeasement chemicals from thoracic glands that prevent ants from attacking it inside the colony.

Pennsylvania Ground Beetle

One of the most common ground beetles in North American croplands. It is an omnivorous species that feeds on both seeds and small insects.

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Did You Know?

Studies show it can consume enough weed seeds to significantly reduce weed emergence in crop fields.