Black Burying Beetle vs Round Sand Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Burying Beetle Round Sand Beetle
Scientific Name Nicrophorus humator Omophron limbatum
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Silphidae Carabidae
Size 18-26mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Ponds & Lakes
Diet Carrion Feeders Predators
Regions Europe Europe, North Africa, western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black Burying Beetle

A large all-black burying beetle with orange-tipped antennae. It buries animal carcasses for its larvae.

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Did You Know?

One of the largest burying beetles in Europe and can inter a mouse-sized carcass in just a few hours.

Round Sand Beetle

A highly distinctive, nearly circular ground beetle with a domed shape and striking pattern of pale yellow with dark green bands. It burrows in wet sand near water.

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Did You Know?

Its nearly spherical body shape is unique among ground beetles and allows it to burrow rapidly into wet sand to escape predators or floods.