Devil's Coach Horse vs White Miller Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Devil's Coach Horse White Miller Mayfly
Scientific Name Ocypus olens Ephoron virgo
Order Coleoptera Ephemeroptera
Family Staphylinidae Polymitarcyidae
Size 22-32 mm 12-18 mm
Habitat Underground Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, introduced to North America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Devil's Coach Horse

A large, matt-black rove beetle that raises its tail like a scorpion when threatened. It has powerful jaws and emits a foul smell.

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Did You Know?

In medieval Ireland it was believed to have the power to curse a person it pointed its tail at.

White Miller Mayfly

A white-bodied European mayfly that emerges in enormous synchronized swarms at dusk. Females are unique among mayflies in that they moult directly into the spinner stage.

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Did You Know?

Swarms at bridges and streetlights can be so thick they cause traffic hazards.