Figwort Weevil vs Variable Dung Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Figwort Weevil Variable Dung Beetle
Scientific Name Cionus scrophulariae Onthophagus fracticornis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Curculionidae Scarabaeidae
Size 3-5 mm 5-9 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Farmland
Diet Herbivores Dung Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Figwort Weevil

A globular weevil with checkerboard black and white patterning found on figwort and mullein. Larvae feed externally on leaves in mucous cocoons. A strikingly patterned species.

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Did You Know?

Larvae spin external mucous cocoons on the leaf surface, looking like small glistening droplets.

Variable Dung Beetle

A small, highly variable tunneling dung beetle found across Europe. Coloration ranges from pale brown to nearly black with various mottled patterns. Males have a small bent horn, giving the species its name.

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Did You Know?

The extreme color variation in this species once led taxonomists to describe multiple color forms as separate species.