Iris Flea Beetle vs Glacier Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Iris Flea Beetle Glacier Beetle
Scientific Name Aphthona nonstriata Nebria castanea
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Carabidae
Size 2-3 mm 9-13 mm
Habitat Wetlands Farmland
Diet Root Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe Alps, Central Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Iris Flea Beetle

A small blue-green flea beetle associated with yellow iris in wetland habitats. Larvae feed on iris roots underwater. A specialized member of the wetland beetle community.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can survive submerged among iris roots, extracting oxygen from the waterlogged plant tissue.

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.