Bloody-Nosed Beetle vs Smelly Carpenter Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bloody-Nosed Beetle Smelly Carpenter Ant
Scientific Name Timarcha tenebricosa Dolichoderus thoracicus
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Formicidae
Size 10-20 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Western Europe Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
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.

Smelly Carpenter Ant

A Southeast Asian dolichoderine ant that tends mealybugs inside shelters built from chewed plant material. It is a significant pest of cacao and coconut plantations.

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Did You Know?

They build elaborate carton tents over mealybug colonies on crop plants, protecting their honeydew source from rain and predators.