Brown Chafer vs Red-Breasted Carrion Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown Chafer Red-Breasted Carrion Beetle
Scientific Name Serica brunnea Oiceoptoma thoracicum
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Silphidae
Size 8-11 mm 12-16 mm
Habitat Heathland Grasslands
Diet Root Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Brown Chafer

A small chestnut-brown beetle with a velvety sheen to its elytra. It is nocturnal and attracted to lights on warm summer nights.

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Did You Know?

Its velvety appearance is caused by tiny, densely packed hairs covering the entire body surface.

Red-Breasted Carrion Beetle

A flattened black beetle with a broad, reddish-orange thorax found on carrion. Unlike burying beetles, it does not bury carcasses but feeds on them in place.

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Did You Know?

It is often the first beetle species to arrive at a carcass, sometimes appearing within minutes of death.