Clock Ground Beetle vs Arctic Seed Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clock Ground Beetle Arctic Seed Bug
Scientific Name Amara aenea Nysius groenlandicus
Order Coleoptera Hemiptera
Family Carabidae Lygaeidae
Size 6-9 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Tundra & Arctic
Diet Seed Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, Introduced to North America Greenland, Arctic Canada, Iceland, Svalbard
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Clock Ground Beetle

A small, bronze-colored ground beetle extremely common across the Palearctic region. It is a mixed feeder consuming both seeds and small invertebrates.

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Did You Know?

Its common name comes from the old English practice of placing beetles on a clock face to tell fortunes.

Arctic Seed Bug

A small, elongate grayish-brown seed bug with a narrow body and prominent eyes. It feeds on seeds and plant sap in Arctic tundra. Adults can tolerate freezing temperatures and are active throughout the short summer.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the very few true bugs found in Greenland, where it survives on seeds of the limited Arctic flora.