Black Aphodius vs Japanese Damaster Ground Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Black Aphodius | Japanese Damaster Ground Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aphodius fimetarius | Damaster blaptoides |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Scarabaeidae | Carabidae |
| Size | 5-8 mm | 30-55 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Woodlands |
| Diet | Dung Feeders | Predators |
| Regions | Europe, North America, Asia | Japan (all main islands) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Black Aphodius
A small dweller dung beetle with a black head and pronotum and reddish-brown elytra. It lives directly within dung pats rather than tunneling or rolling. One of the most common and widespread dung beetles in the Northern Hemisphere.
Did You Know?
Unlike roller and tunneler species, dwellers complete their entire life cycle within the dung pat itself.
Japanese Damaster Ground Beetle
A remarkably elongated Japanese ground beetle with an extremely narrow body and extended neck region. It has evolved this shape specifically to feed on snails by reaching deep into their shells.
Did You Know?
It has the most elongated body of any Carabus relative, evolved specifically so it can insert its head and thorax deep inside the spiral of a snail shell to reach the living snail.