Arboreal Ground Beetle vs Gaboon Viper Caterpillar Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arboreal Ground Beetle Gaboon Viper Caterpillar Moth
Scientific Name Dromius quadrimaculatus Lobobunaea phaedusa
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Carabidae Saturniidae
Size 5-7 mm 90-120 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, western Asia Central Africa (Cameroon, Gabon, DRC, Congo)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Arboreal Ground Beetle

A small, flattened ground beetle that lives primarily on trees rather than on the ground. It has a dark brown body with four pale spots on its elytra and hides under bark.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most ground beetles, it spends its entire life on trees and is rarely found on the ground, challenging the common name of the family.

Gaboon Viper Caterpillar Moth

A large saturniid moth with rich brown and reddish-purple wings bearing prominent eye-spots. The caterpillars are spectacularly spined and brightly colored. Adults do not feed and rely entirely on energy stored during the larval stage.

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Did You Know?

The caterpillars have stinging spines that can cause severe skin irritation, protecting them from most predators.