Atlas Longhorn vs European Hangingfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Atlas Longhorn European Hangingfly
Scientific Name Macrotoma palmata Bittacus italicus
Order Coleoptera Mecoptera
Family Cerambycidae Bittacidae
Size 40-65 mm 18-25 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Atlas Longhorn

A large prionine beetle from tropical Africa with palmate (comb-like) antennae in males. The body is dark brown with a robust build. Larvae develop in large fallen trunks of savanna trees.

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Did You Know?

The elaborate comb-like antennae of males are thought to detect female pheromones with extreme sensitivity.

European Hangingfly

A delicate predatory insect with long legs that hangs from grass stems and snatches prey with its prehensile hind tarsi. Found in Mediterranean grasslands.

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Did You Know?

The prehensile hind tarsi of hangingflies can close like a jackknife, trapping prey in a fraction of a second.