Common Groundhopper vs Blue Death-feigning Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Groundhopper Blue Death-feigning Beetle
Scientific Name Tetrix undulata Asbolus verrucosus
Order Orthoptera Coleoptera
Family Tetrigidae Tenebrionidae
Size 8-11 mm 18-21mm
Habitat Heathland Deserts & Drylands
Diet Detritivores Detritivores
Regions Europe, Northern Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Groundhopper

A tiny, dark pygmy grasshopper whose pronotum extends backward over the entire abdomen like a shield. It is active year-round and can even be found basking on bare ground in midwinter.

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Did You Know?

It overwinters as an adult and can be found active on warm days in every month of the year, even January.

Blue Death-feigning Beetle

A rounded blue-grey desert beetle covered in a waxy powder-blue coating. When threatened it flips onto its back and plays dead with legs extended stiffly.

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Did You Know?

Its death-feigning behavior is so convincing that predators lose interest and the beetle can remain motionless for hours.