Green Metallic Tunneler vs Nut Weevil

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Green Metallic Tunneler Nut Weevil
Scientific Name Onitis alexis Curculio nucum
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Curculionidae
Size 14-22 mm 6-9 mm
Habitat Farmland Orchards
Diet Dung Feeders Omnivores
Regions Africa, introduced to Australia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Green Metallic Tunneler

A medium-sized tunneling dung beetle with a metallic green pronotum and dark brown elytra. Males have an enlarged prothorax. It constructs vertical tunnels beneath cattle dung and is nocturnal.

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Did You Know?

Introduced to Australia in the 1980s, this species was specifically targeted for its ability to handle cattle dung in tropical climates.

Nut Weevil

A small weevil with a slender, downward-curved snout used to bore into hazelnuts. The larva feeds inside the nut before dropping to the ground to pupate.

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Did You Know?

A tiny round hole in a hazelnut shell is the exit point of the fully grown larva.