Arboreal Ground Beetle vs Shiny Lined Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arboreal Ground Beetle Shiny Lined Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Dromius quadrimaculatus Xantholinus longiventris
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Carabidae Staphylinidae
Size 5-7 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Woodlands Underground
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions Europe, western Asia Europe, Western Asia, introduced to North America
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.

Shiny Lined Rove Beetle

A distinctively elongate rove beetle with a shiny black head and pronotum, and reddish-brown elytra. It hunts in narrow spaces and is commonly found in synanthropic habitats.

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Did You Know?

The disproportionately large mandibles of this beetle, relative to its narrow head, allow it to subdue prey in tight spaces where it has a significant advantage.