Four-ribbed Jewel Beetle vs Sylvicola Tunneler

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Four-ribbed Jewel Beetle Sylvicola Tunneler
Scientific Name Polybothris quadricollis Ontherus sulcator
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Buprestidae Scarabaeidae
Size 20-30 mm 12-18 mm
Habitat Forests Grasslands
Diet Wood Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions Madagascar South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Four-ribbed Jewel Beetle

A moderately sized jewel beetle with four distinct ridges on the pronotum, which gives it its name. The elytra shimmer with dark metallic green to bronze tones.

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Did You Know?

The structural color of its exoskeleton inspired biomimicry research into creating non-fade paints and coatings.

Sylvicola Tunneler

A medium-sized, black tunneling dung beetle with deep longitudinal furrows on the elytra. Males have a short, broad cephalic horn. It is common in South American pastures and is an important dung recycler in cattle-farming regions.

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Did You Know?

This species thrives in disturbed agricultural landscapes, unlike many dung beetles that require intact forest.