Fire Beetle vs Madeiran Brimstone Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Fire Beetle Madeiran Brimstone Butterfly
Scientific Name Pyrophorus divergens Gonepteryx maderensis
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Elateridae Pieridae
Size 20-30 mm 50-60 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Central America, South America Madeira
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Fire Beetle

A bioluminescent click beetle from Central American forests. Its glowing thoracic spots are visible from several meters away in total darkness.

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Did You Know?

Spanish conquistadors reported seeing forests glowing with thousands of these beetles and initially thought they were supernatural phenomena.

Madeiran Brimstone Butterfly

A yellow butterfly endemic to the island of Madeira in the Atlantic. It is closely related to Canary Island brimstones but geographically isolated.

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Did You Know?

Fewer than 1000 individuals are thought to survive in small laurel forest patches on Madeira.