Black Sexton Beetle vs Changa Mole Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Sexton Beetle Changa Mole Cricket
Scientific Name Necrophorus vespilloides Scapteriscus didactylus
Order Coleoptera Orthoptera
Family Silphidae Gryllotalpidae
Size 12-18 mm 30-40 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Carrion Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Caribbean, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black Sexton Beetle

A remarkable burying beetle that locates small animal carcasses using acute sense of smell. Pairs work together to bury the carcass as food for their larvae. Shows sophisticated biparental care.

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Did You Know?

Both parents feed their larvae mouth-to-mouth with pre-digested carrion, like birds feeding chicks.

Changa Mole Cricket

A large mole cricket native to South America that became a severe pest in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. It has only two claws on its digging forefeet.

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Did You Know?

Its name changa comes from the Puerto Rican Spanish word for the insect, where it historically devastated sugarcane plantations.