Gold-and-Brown Rove Beetle vs Humpbacked Mite-hunter

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Gold-and-Brown Rove Beetle Humpbacked Mite-hunter
Scientific Name Ontholestes tessellatus Scydmaenus hellwigii
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Staphylinidae
Size 14-20 mm 1-1.5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Predators Detritivores
Regions Europe, Asia Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Gold-and-Brown Rove Beetle

A large rove beetle covered in a mosaic of golden and dark brown hairs. It frequents dung and carrion where it preys on fly larvae.

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Did You Know?

Its tessellated hair pattern acts as camouflage against the mottled surfaces of dung and decaying matter.

Humpbacked Mite-hunter

A diminutive scydmaenine rove beetle with a distinctly humped profile and long, clubbed antennae. It specializes in hunting oribatid mites in the micro-habitats of forest floor detritus.

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Did You Know?

To overcome the mite's armor, this beetle first gnaws a small hole in the mite's exoskeleton, then inserts its mandibles to extract the soft tissues inside.