Digitonthophagus Dung Beetle vs Canary Islands Admiral Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Digitonthophagus Dung Beetle Canary Islands Admiral Butterfly
Scientific Name Digitonthophagus gazella Vanessa vulcania
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Nymphalidae
Size 7-14 mm 55-65 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Dung Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Africa, introduced globally to tropical regions Canary Islands, Madeira
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Digitonthophagus Dung Beetle

A small to medium, tan to brown tunneling dung beetle originally from Africa, now among the most widely distributed dung beetles globally. Males have two short conical horns. It is an extremely efficient cattle dung processor.

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Did You Know?

This species has been introduced to more countries than any other dung beetle and is now found on every inhabited continent.

Canary Islands Admiral Butterfly

An endemic butterfly closely related to the red admiral, found in the Canary Islands and Madeira. It has darker coloring with brighter orange-red bands.

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Did You Know?

It was long considered a subspecies of the red admiral before being elevated to full species status.