Forest Roller vs Kamehameha Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Forest Roller Kamehameha Butterfly
Scientific Name Canthon quinquemaculatus Vanessa tameamea
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Nymphalidae
Size 6-10 mm 60-70 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Dung Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions South America Hawaii
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Forest Roller

A small, dark roller dung beetle with five pale spots on the elytra. Found in South American forests, it is diurnal and actively rolls small dung balls along forest trails. The spotted pattern provides camouflage on the leaf-littered forest floor.

💡

Did You Know?

The five distinctive pale spots on the wing cases help researchers quickly identify this species in field surveys.

Kamehameha Butterfly

Hawaii's state insect, a beautiful orange-and-black butterfly endemic to the islands. It is one of only two butterfly species native to Hawaii.

💡

Did You Know?

It was designated Hawaii's state insect in 2009 and is named after the Hawaiian royal dynasty.