Cone Ant vs Pasimachus Flat Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cone Ant Pasimachus Flat Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Dorymyrmex insanus Pasimachus depressus
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Formicidae Carabidae
Size 2-3 mm 22-30 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Seed Feeders Predators
Regions Southern United States, Mexico Southeastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cone Ant

A fast-moving reddish-brown ant that builds distinctive cone-shaped crater nests in sandy soil. It is a common competitor with fire ants in open habitats of the southern United States.

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Did You Know?

They are one of the few native ant species that can successfully compete with invasive fire ants for territory.

Pasimachus Flat Ground Beetle

A large, broad, flattened shiny black beetle with massive mandibles and distinctive blue-margined elytra. It is one of the most imposing ground beetles in North America.

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Did You Know?

Its immensely powerful mandibles can easily pierce through the tough exoskeleton of other beetles, and it has been observed killing and eating June bugs and other scarabs.