Giant Bess Beetle vs Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Bess Beetle Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Passalus punctiger Abax parallelepipedus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Passalidae Carabidae
Size 35-50 mm 18-22 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions South America Western and Central Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Bess Beetle

A very large, robust bess beetle with a glossy black exoskeleton and strong mandibles. It creates extensive tunnel systems in large fallen trees. Multiple generations may coexist within a single log.

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Did You Know?

Larvae pupate in protective cases made from frass that parents help construct.

Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle

A large, shiny black ground beetle with a distinctive parallel-sided body shape. It is one of the most common large carabids in European woodlands, active at night under logs and stones.

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Did You Know?

Its perfectly rectangular body shape is so precise and regular that it was given the species name 'parallelepipedus,' meaning resembling a geometric parallelepiped.