Green Metallic Tunneler vs Roesel's Bush-cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Green Metallic Tunneler Roesel's Bush-cricket
Scientific Name Onitis alexis Roeseliana roeselii
Order Coleoptera Orthoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Tettigoniidae
Size 14-22 mm 14-20mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Dung Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Africa, introduced to Australia Europe, Asia
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.

Roesel's Bush-cricket

A stocky bush-cricket with a distinctive pale border along the pronotum. Its song is a continuous high-pitched buzz. Macropterous forms with full wings appear in hot summers and can fly.

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Did You Know?

In hot summers, a winged form appears that can fly and colonize new habitats, driving rapid range expansion.