Igneus Rainbow Scarab vs Miniature Water Scavenger Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Igneus Rainbow Scarab Miniature Water Scavenger Beetle
Scientific Name Phanaeus igneus Cercyon laminatus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Hydrophilidae
Size 12-20 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Forests Gardens
Diet Dung Feeders Fungus Feeders
Regions Southeastern North America Europe, North America (introduced)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Igneus Rainbow Scarab

A brilliantly metallic green, blue, and red tunneling dung beetle of the southeastern United States. Males have a long, slender horn on the head. It tunnels beneath dung on sandy soils in pine forests.

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Did You Know?

The fiery metallic colors that give it the name igneus make it one of the most colorful beetles in North America.

Miniature Water Scavenger Beetle

A tiny terrestrial hydrophilid often found in compost and decaying plant material. Despite belonging to a water beetle family, it is entirely land-dwelling.

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Did You Know?

It has spread globally through the movement of compost and agricultural products.