Elephant Beetle vs Blue Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Elephant Beetle Blue Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Megasoma elephas Paederus fuscipes
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Staphylinidae
Size 70-120 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Forests Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Central America, South America South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Elephant Beetle

One of the heaviest beetles, weighing up to 50 grams. Males have prominent horns on the head and prothorax. Larvae take 2-3 years to develop in rotting wood.

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Did You Know?

Elephant beetle larvae are so large they were reportedly eaten by indigenous peoples in Central America — each larva can weigh as much as a small chicken egg.

Blue Rove Beetle

A small, slender beetle with metallic blue elytra and an orange abdomen. It is an important biological control agent in rice paddies.

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Did You Know?

Outbreaks of skin dermatitis called 'Paederus dermatitis' occur when people unknowingly crush these beetles on their skin.