Clown Beetle vs White Plume Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clown Beetle White Plume Moth
Scientific Name Hister unicolor Pterophorus pentadactyla
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Histeridae Pterophoridae
Size 6-9 mm 25-30 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Scavengers Herbivores
Regions Europe, North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Clown Beetle

A small, shiny black beetle with a compact, rounded body. It is a predator of fly larvae found in dung and decaying matter.

💡

Did You Know?

It can retract its legs and antennae into grooves on its body, making it nearly spherical.

White Plume Moth

A delicate pure white moth with deeply divided wings that split into feather-like plumes. Often seen resting on walls at night with wings held out like a letter T. Caterpillars feed on hedge bindweed.

💡

Did You Know?

Its wings are divided into five feather-like plumes on each side, giving it one of the most unusual wing forms of any moth.