Fringed Longhorn vs Compost Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Fringed Longhorn Compost Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Pogonocherus hispidus Oxytelus laqueatus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cerambycidae Staphylinidae
Size 5-7 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Woodlands Gardens
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions Europe, Western Asia Holarctic: Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Fringed Longhorn

A tiny lamiin covered in tufts of erect bristles that give it a shaggy appearance. Found across Europe in hedgerows and woodland edges. Larvae develop in small dead twigs of various broadleaf trees.

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Did You Know?

At barely 5 mm long, it is one of Europe's smallest cerambycids but is surprisingly widespread and common.

Compost Rove Beetle

A small, broad oxytelline rove beetle with a distinctively sculptured pronotum bearing deep grooves. It is abundant in composting material and agricultural waste across the Holarctic region.

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Did You Know?

This beetle is so abundant in compost that a single shovelful can contain dozens of individuals, making it one of the most numerous insects in garden ecosystems.