Benderman's Cave Beetle vs Scarce Copper

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Benderman's Cave Beetle Scarce Copper
Scientific Name Pseudanophthalmus bendermani Lycaena virgaureae
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Carabidae Lycaenidae
Size 4-5 mm 30-38 mm wingspan
Habitat Caves Mountains
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions United States Europe, temperate Asia
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Benderman's Cave Beetle

A tiny blind ground beetle restricted to a single cave system in Virginia. It is federally listed as endangered in the United States.

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Did You Know?

It is known from only one cave in the entire world.

Scarce Copper

A brilliant fiery-orange butterfly with black-spotted forewings, the male being one of the most intensely coloured European butterflies. Females are more subdued with brown-spotted orange wings.

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Did You Know?

Males are so brilliantly orange they can be spotted from over 50 metres away in sunlit meadows.