European Melittid vs Common Click Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute European Melittid Common Click Beetle
Scientific Name Melitta leporina Agriotes sputator
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Melittidae Elateridae
Size 11-14 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Pollen Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

European Melittid

A medium-sized oligolectic bee that specializes on legume flowers, particularly alfalfa and clovers. It nests in the ground in sparsely vegetated areas.

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Did You Know?

It is so efficient at collecting clover pollen that a single bee can visit over 1,000 florets in a single foraging trip.

Common Click Beetle

A small, uniformly brown click beetle that is one of the most common wireworm pests in European agriculture. Adults are often found on flowers and grasses in spring and early summer.

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Did You Know?

The clicking mechanism that gives the family its name involves a peg-and-groove structure on the thorax that stores and releases elastic energy.