Glacier Beetle vs Snyder's Zorapteran

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Glacier Beetle Snyder's Zorapteran
Scientific Name Nebria castanea Zorotypus snyderi
Order Coleoptera Zoraptera
Family Carabidae Zorotypidae
Size 9-13 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Alps, Central Europe Southeastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Glacier Beetle

A chestnut-brown ground beetle inhabiting the edges of glaciers and permanent snowfields. It feeds on wind-blown insects deposited on ice surfaces.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few beetles that actively forages on glacier ice surfaces.

Snyder's Zorapteran

A minute gregarious insect living in small colonies in rotting logs. Wingless forms are blind and pale, while winged forms have eyes and darker coloration.

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Did You Know?

Winged zorapterans deliberately break off their own wings after finding a suitable colony site.