Flat-Headed Dung Beetle vs Saratoga Spittlebug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flat-Headed Dung Beetle Saratoga Spittlebug
Scientific Name Paragymnopleurus maurus Aphrophora saratogensis
Order Coleoptera Hemiptera
Family Scarabaeidae Aphrophoridae
Size 12-18 mm 8-11 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Dung Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Flat-Headed Dung Beetle

A medium-sized shiny black roller dung beetle with a distinctively flat clypeal margin. It is highly active during the day and rolls dung balls rapidly across open terrain. Common in tropical Asian habitats near cattle.

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Did You Know?

When the ground becomes too hot, this beetle climbs on top of its dung ball to cool its feet before continuing to roll.

Saratoga Spittlebug

A spittlebug that is a serious pest of young red pine plantations in North America. Its feeding causes branch dieback and tree mortality.

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Did You Know?

Outbreaks in pine plantations have killed thousands of young trees, making it a significant forestry pest.