Clock Ground Beetle vs Wasp Nest Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clock Ground Beetle Wasp Nest Beetle
Scientific Name Amara aenea Metoecus paradoxus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Carabidae Ripiphoridae
Size 6-9 mm 8-12mm
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Woodlands
Diet Seed Feeders Parasitoids
Regions Europe, Asia, Introduced to North America Europe
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.

Wasp Nest Beetle

A bizarre wedge-shaped beetle that develops as a parasitoid inside social wasp nests. Males have feathery antennae.

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Did You Know?

One of the most unusual beetles in Europe, spending its entire larval development inside live wasp nests.