Common Christmas Beetle vs Tres Marias Firefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Christmas Beetle Tres Marias Firefly
Scientific Name Anoplognathus pallidicollis Photinus knabi
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Lampyridae
Size 20-30 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Root Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Australia North America, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Christmas Beetle

A glossy golden-brown scarab beetle that swarms around lights during the Australian summer. It is the most commonly encountered Christmas beetle species.

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Did You Know?

Their emergence in December each year gave them the common name Christmas beetle.

Tres Marias Firefly

A small firefly native to Mexico with a yellowish-green flash. It has a dark body with a pale-bordered pronotum and is found in tropical deciduous forests.

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Did You Know?

Many Photinus species in Mexico remain poorly studied, with their flash patterns and mating behaviors largely undocumented.