Four-Spotted Carrion Beetle vs Western Ground Squirrel Flea
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Four-Spotted Carrion Beetle | Western Ground Squirrel Flea |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendroxena quadrimaculata | Oropsylla montana |
| Order | Coleoptera | Siphonaptera |
| Family | Silphidae | Ceratophyllidae |
| Size | 12-16 mm | 2-3 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Grasslands |
| Diet | Predators | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | Europe, Western Asia | Western North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Four-Spotted Carrion Beetle
A yellowish-brown beetle with four dark spots on its elytra, unusual for a silphid because it hunts in trees rather than on the ground. It climbs trunks searching for caterpillars.
Did You Know?
It is one of the only carrion beetles that has abandoned carrion feeding entirely, becoming an arboreal caterpillar predator.
Western Ground Squirrel Flea
A flea found on ground squirrels and prairie dogs in western North America. It is an important vector of sylvatic plague in wild rodent populations.
Did You Know?
It is the primary flea responsible for maintaining plague in wild rodent populations across the American West.