Flat Silphid Beetle vs Hairy Wood Ant
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Flat Silphid Beetle | Hairy Wood Ant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Silpha tristis | Formica lugubris |
| Order | Coleoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Silphidae | Formicidae |
| Size | 10-15 mm | 4-8 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Forests |
| Diet | Carrion Feeders | Carrion Feeders |
| Regions | North America | Europe, Northern Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Flat Silphid Beetle
A flattened, all-black silphid beetle with three raised ridges on each wing case. It feeds on snails and caterpillars rather than carrion.
Did You Know?
Unlike most silphids, it has shifted entirely to predation and is rarely found on carrion at all.
Hairy Wood Ant
A large mound-building ant of upland coniferous forests with noticeably hairy body surfaces. It forms polydomous colonies with multiple interconnected nests.
Did You Know?
A supercolony in the Swiss Jura mountains contained over 1,200 interconnected nests spanning 70 hectares.