Cereal Leaf Beetle vs Giant Jawed Longhorn

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cereal Leaf Beetle Giant Jawed Longhorn
Scientific Name Oulema melanopus Macrodontia dejeanii
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Cerambycidae
Size 4-5 mm 50-85 mm
Habitat Farmland Forests
Diet Seed Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, North America (invasive), Asia Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cereal Leaf Beetle

A small beetle with metallic blue-black elytra and a red-orange thorax. Its larvae strip the upper leaf surface of cereal crops.

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Did You Know?

Larvae carry a shield of their own faeces on their backs to deter predators and prevent desiccation.

Giant Jawed Longhorn

A large prionine with impressive curved mandibles from the tropical forests of South America. While smaller than the famous M. cervicornis, it is still a formidable insect. Males use their enlarged mandibles in combat over females.

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Did You Know?

The mandibles of males can account for nearly a third of total body length and are used like antlers in combat.