Four-spotted Dung Beetle vs Stink Bug Tachinid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Four-spotted Dung Beetle Stink Bug Tachinid
Scientific Name Helictopleurus quadripunctatus Trichopoda pennipes
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Scarabaeidae Tachinidae
Size 12-18 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Dung Feeders Parasites
Regions Madagascar North America, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Four-spotted Dung Beetle

A medium-sized dung beetle with four distinctive pale spots on its dark elytra. It is one of the few Helictopleurus species that has adapted to open habitats alongside cattle.

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Did You Know?

It is one of only five Helictopleurus species that have successfully shifted from forest-dwelling lemur dung specialist to open-habitat cattle dung feeder.

Stink Bug Tachinid

A distinctive parasitic fly with a flattened orange abdomen and feathery legs. It attacks stink bugs and squash bugs in agricultural settings.

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Did You Know?

Its fringed hind legs are thought to mimic bee pollen baskets, confusing predators.