Atlas Longhorn vs Short-Winged Blister Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Atlas Longhorn Short-Winged Blister Beetle
Scientific Name Macrotoma palmata Meloe violaceus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cerambycidae Meloidae
Size 40-65 mm 15-32 mm
Habitat Grasslands Beaches & Coastal
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa Europe
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

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.

Short-Winged Blister Beetle

A blue-violet oil beetle found across Europe, often seen walking on paths and open ground in spring. Like other oil beetles, it oozes cantharidin-laced fluid from its joints when threatened.

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Did You Know?

A single female can lay over 4,000 eggs in a season, but fewer than one percent of larvae survive to adulthood.