Blue Death-feigning Beetle vs East Asian Pheropsophus Bombardier
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Blue Death-feigning Beetle | East Asian Pheropsophus Bombardier |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Asbolus verrucosus | Pheropsophus jessoensis |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Tenebrionidae | Carabidae |
| Size | 18-21mm | 15-25 mm |
| Habitat | Deserts & Drylands | Farmland |
| Diet | Detritivores | Predators |
| Regions | North America | Japan, Korea, eastern China, Russian Far East |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Blue Death-feigning Beetle
A rounded blue-grey desert beetle covered in a waxy powder-blue coating. When threatened it flips onto its back and plays dead with legs extended stiffly.
Did You Know?
Its death-feigning behavior is so convincing that predators lose interest and the beetle can remain motionless for hours.
East Asian Pheropsophus Bombardier
A large Asian bombardier beetle with an orange head and pronotum and dark blue-black elytra. It is the largest bombardier beetle in Japan and produces powerful chemical sprays.
Did You Know?
It can spray its boiling chemical defense up to 20 centimeters with a popping sound audible from several meters away, and can fire repeatedly up to 20 times before depleting its reserves.