Clavigerite Ant Beetle vs Central American Glowworm Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clavigerite Ant Beetle Central American Glowworm Beetle
Scientific Name Claviger testaceus Phengodes hidalgoensis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Phengodidae
Size 2-3 mm 10-15 mm
Habitat Underground Mountains
Diet Omnivores Predators
Regions Europe North America, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Clavigerite Ant Beetle

A tiny, blind, wingless rove beetle that is an obligate guest of Lasius ant colonies. It has lost its eyes and developed specialized trichomes that secrete ant-appeasing compounds.

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Did You Know?

It is so dependent on ants that it cannot survive more than a few hours outside their nest.

Central American Glowworm Beetle

A Mexican glowworm beetle with males possessing large feathery antennae and short elytra. The larviform females produce greenish-yellow bioluminescence from lateral light organs.

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Did You Know?

Phengodidae are found only in the New World, from southern Canada to South America, making them a uniquely American family.