Australian Caterpillar Hunter vs Meadow Brown

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Australian Caterpillar Hunter Meadow Brown
Scientific Name Calosoma schayeri Maniola jurtina
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Carabidae Nymphalidae
Size 20-28 mm Wingspan 40-55mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Australia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Australian Caterpillar Hunter

An Australian caterpillar hunter with dark metallic elytra. It is an important natural enemy of pasture and crop caterpillar pests.

💡

Did You Know?

It is attracted to lights at night and sometimes appears in large numbers around buildings during moth outbreaks.

Meadow Brown

The most abundant butterfly in Britain, a brown species with a single eyespot on each forewing.

💡

Did You Know?

So common it is often overlooked but plays a crucial role as a pollinator of wildflowers in grasslands.