Jewel Scarab vs Sand-Loving Hister Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Jewel Scarab Sand-Loving Hister Beetle
Scientific Name Chrysina resplendens Hypocaccus rugifrons
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Histeridae
Size 25-35 mm 2-4 mm
Habitat Forests Beaches & Coastal
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions Costa Rica, Panama Europe, Mediterranean coasts
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Jewel Scarab

A beetle that appears to be made of polished gold, found in cloud forests of Central America. Its reflective shell is composed of chiral nanostructures.

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Did You Know?

Its shell reflects circularly polarized light, a property almost unique in the animal kingdom.

Sand-Loving Hister Beetle

A small, reddish-brown hister beetle found in sandy coastal habitats. It hunts fly larvae in seaweed wrack and stranded carrion.

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Did You Know?

It buries itself in sand beneath rotting kelp during the day and emerges at night to hunt fly larvae in the wrack.