Bloody-Nosed Beetle vs African Tiger Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bloody-Nosed Beetle African Tiger Beetle
Scientific Name Timarcha tenebricosa Manticora latipennis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Cicindelidae
Size 10-20 mm 40-65 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Deserts & Drylands
Diet Omnivores Predators
Regions Western Europe Southern Africa (Namibia, South Africa, Botswana)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bloody-Nosed Beetle

A large, flightless, domed black beetle that oozes red fluid from its mouth when threatened. The secretion contains distasteful chemicals.

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Did You Know?

The red defensive fluid is actually hemolymph, the beetle equivalent of blood.

African Tiger Beetle

The world's largest tiger beetle, a fierce predator with massive jaws. It is flightless and hunts on the ground at night.

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Did You Know?

Despite being flightless, it can sprint across sand at speeds that would be equivalent to a human running over 300 km/h.