Femoralis Dung Beetle vs Spruce Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Femoralis Dung Beetle | Spruce Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pachylomerus femoralis | Dendroctonus rufipennis |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Scarabaeidae | Curculionidae |
| Size | 40-60 mm | 4-7 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Forests |
| Diet | Dung Feeders | Wood Feeders |
| Regions | Southern Africa, East Africa | Alaska, western Canada, and the Rocky Mountain states |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Femoralis Dung Beetle
The largest African roller dung beetle, with a stout black body and massively thickened hind femora. It can roll dung balls several times its own weight across rough terrain. The enlarged legs give it exceptional leverage for ball rolling.
Did You Know?
Its hind femora are so thick and muscular that early entomologists initially thought the species was deformed.
Spruce Beetle
A dark brown to black bark beetle that is the primary killer of mature spruce trees in North America. Outbreaks are triggered by drought, windthrow, or warming temperatures.
Did You Know?
A single outbreak in Alaska during the 1990s killed spruce trees across more than one million acres.