Bathysciola Cave Beetle vs Cockchafer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bathysciola Cave Beetle Cockchafer
Scientific Name Bathysciola ovata Melolontha melolontha
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Leiodidae Scarabaeidae
Size 2-3 mm 25-30 mm
Habitat Caves Farmland
Diet Fungus Feeders Root Feeders
Regions France, Spain Western Europe, Central Europe, Northern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bathysciola Cave Beetle

A small oval cave beetle found in the Pyrenean caves of France and Spain. It has reduced eyes and elongated antennae for navigating dark environments.

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Did You Know?

The genus Bathysciola contains dozens of species, most restricted to individual caves.

Cockchafer

A large, clumsy-flying chafer beetle that emerges en masse on warm May evenings. Its white C-shaped larvae are familiar agricultural pests across Europe.

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Did You Know?

In medieval Europe, cockchafer swarms were so destructive that they were once put on trial in court.