Big-headed Tiger Beetle vs Madeira Longhorn

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Big-headed Tiger Beetle Madeira Longhorn
Scientific Name Megacephala virginica Leptura aurulenta
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Carabidae Cerambycidae
Size 18-24 mm 15-26 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Woodlands
Diet Predators Wood Feeders
Regions Southeastern United States Mediterranean Europe, Atlantic France, Macaronesia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Big-headed Tiger Beetle

A nocturnal tiger beetle with a disproportionately large head and long curved mandibles. It is dark brown to black and hunts on sandy riverbanks after dark.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most tiger beetles that hunt by day, this species is strictly nocturnal and is attracted to artificial lights near sandy habitats.

Madeira Longhorn

A large flower longhorn with rusty-orange elytra and a black head and pronotum. Found in forests around the Mediterranean and Atlantic Europe. Larvae develop over 3-5 years in dead wood of oaks and chestnuts.

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Did You Know?

This species has been found on Madeira Island, giving rise to its common name, though it occurs widely across southern Europe.