Arctic Ground Beetle vs Fan-foot Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arctic Ground Beetle Fan-foot Moth
Scientific Name Amara alpina Zanclognatha tarsipennalis
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Carabidae Erebidae
Size 5-8 mm 26-32 mm wingspan
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Arctic Scandinavia, northern Russia, Siberia, Arctic Canada, Greenland Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Arctic Ground Beetle

A small, dark bronze ground beetle found on Arctic and alpine tundra. It has a broad, flattened body ideal for sheltering under stones. Adults are active during the brief Arctic summer and are partially herbivorous.

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Did You Know?

This beetle has been found in Quaternary fossil deposits across northern Europe, showing it has inhabited the tundra since the last Ice Age.

Fan-foot Moth

A subtle brown moth with fan-shaped palps and delicate wing markings. Found in woodland where dead leaves accumulate. Larvae feed on dead leaves on the woodland floor.

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Did You Know?

The males have distinctive enlarged fan-shaped labial palps that give this moth its common name.