Common Burying Beetle vs Small Brown Lacewing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Burying Beetle Small Brown Lacewing
Scientific Name Nicrophorus vespillo Micromus angulatus
Order Coleoptera Neuroptera
Family Silphidae Hemerobiidae
Size 12-22 mm 6-9 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Carrion Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe Southern Europe, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Burying Beetle

A large orange-and-black beetle that buries small animal carcasses for its larvae. Uses chemical cues to locate corpses from great distances. Shows remarkable parental care with both parents tending larvae.

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Did You Know?

Can bury a dead mouse completely underground in just a few hours by excavating soil from beneath the carcass.

Small Brown Lacewing

A tiny brown lacewing native to southern Europe and North Africa. Found in low herbaceous vegetation and grassy areas.

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Did You Know?

Its preference for ground-level vegetation sets it apart from most tree-dwelling lacewing relatives.