Four-spotted Rove Beetle vs Scarlet Robber Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Four-spotted Rove Beetle Scarlet Robber Fly
Scientific Name Drusilla canaliculata Laphria flava
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Staphylinidae Asilidae
Size 3-4 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Scavengers Predators
Regions Europe, Northern Asia Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Four-spotted Rove Beetle

A small, flattened aleocharine rove beetle with a distinctive channeled pronotum and brownish coloration. It is frequently found in and around ant nests where it scavenges on nest debris.

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Did You Know?

This beetle produces a defensive spray from abdominal glands that deters attacking ants, allowing it to live safely near ant colonies.

Scarlet Robber Fly

A bumblebee-mimicking robber fly covered in dense golden-yellow hair. It preys on insects visiting flowers at woodland edges.

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Did You Know?

Its dense yellow pile makes it one of the most convincing bumblebee mimics among robber flies.