Bordered Great Diving Beetle vs Shaft Louse

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bordered Great Diving Beetle Shaft Louse
Scientific Name Dytiscus circumflexus Menopon gallinae
Order Coleoptera Phthiraptera
Family Dytiscidae Menoponidae
Size 28-34 mm 1.5-2 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Bordered Great Diving Beetle

A large British diving beetle similar to D. marginalis but with expanded yellow margins. It prefers larger, more permanent water bodies.

💡

Did You Know?

Females have deeply grooved elytra while males have smooth ones, making the sexes easy to distinguish.

Shaft Louse

A fast-moving louse found on the feather shafts of chickens and other poultry. It feeds primarily on feather barbs and can cause significant plumage damage.

💡

Did You Know?

Shaft lice can run so quickly across feathers that they are difficult to catch even with practiced fingers during bird examinations.