False Ringlet vs Dinaric Cave Diving Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute False Ringlet Dinaric Cave Diving Beetle
Scientific Name Coenonympha oedippus Spelaeodytes mirabilis
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Nymphalidae Carabidae
Size 30-36 mm wingspan 6-8 mm
Habitat Wetlands Caves
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Scattered localities in Europe, east to Japan Bosnia and Herzegovina
Conservation Near Threatened (critically endangered in EU) Vulnerable

False Ringlet

A small, drab brown butterfly with a row of striking silver-centred eyespots on the hindwing underside. It is one of the most endangered butterflies in western Europe.

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Did You Know?

It has vanished from over 90% of its former European range in the last century due to wetland drainage.

Dinaric Cave Diving Beetle

A remarkable cave ground beetle from the Dinaric karst, with spider-like elongated legs. It was first collected in Herzegovina in the 19th century.

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Did You Know?

Its spider-like appearance led early naturalists to initially misidentify it.