Coastal Rove Beetle vs Palos Verdes Blue

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Coastal Rove Beetle Palos Verdes Blue
Scientific Name Cafius xantholoma Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Staphylinidae Lycaenidae
Size 6-9 mm 2-3 cm wingspan
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Beaches & Coastal
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa United States
Conservation Least Concern Critically Endangered

Coastal Rove Beetle

A medium-sized rove beetle with yellowish elytral margins, highly adapted to life on seashores. It lives under seaweed wrack on beaches where it preys on kelp fly larvae.

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Did You Know?

This beetle can survive temporary submersion in seawater during high tides by trapping an air bubble under its elytra.

Palos Verdes Blue

A tiny blue butterfly endemic to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County. It was thought extinct in 1983 before being rediscovered in 1994.

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Did You Know?

It is considered one of the rarest butterflies in the world, with captive breeding programs helping sustain the population.