Flower Chafer vs Humpbacked Mite-hunter
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Flower Chafer | Humpbacked Mite-hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Oxythyrea funesta | Scydmaenus hellwigii |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Scarabaeidae | Staphylinidae |
| Size | 8-12 mm | 1-1.5 mm |
| Habitat | Gardens | Forests |
| Diet | Pollen Feeders | Detritivores |
| Regions | Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East | Europe, Western Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Flower Chafer
A small black flower beetle dotted with white spots, widespread across southern Europe and North Africa. It can be found in large numbers on roses and other garden flowers.
Did You Know?
Its Latin name funesta means mournful, referring to the black coloration dotted with white specks like a mourning garment.
Humpbacked Mite-hunter
A diminutive scydmaenine rove beetle with a distinctly humped profile and long, clubbed antennae. It specializes in hunting oribatid mites in the micro-habitats of forest floor detritus.
Did You Know?
To overcome the mite's armor, this beetle first gnaws a small hole in the mite's exoskeleton, then inserts its mandibles to extract the soft tissues inside.