Lange's Metalmark Butterfly vs Crawling Water Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lange's Metalmark Butterfly Crawling Water Beetle
Scientific Name Apodemia mormo langei Haliplus ruficollis
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Riodinidae Haliplidae
Size 2.5-3.5 cm wingspan 2-3 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Ponds & Lakes
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions United States Europe
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Lange's Metalmark Butterfly

A small metalmark butterfly found only at Antioch Dunes in California. Its larvae feed exclusively on naked-stemmed buckwheat.

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Did You Know?

It was one of the first insects listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1976.

Crawling Water Beetle

A tiny, oval water beetle with a yellowish body covered in rows of dark punctures. Unlike diving beetles, it crawls slowly among aquatic vegetation rather than swimming actively.

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Did You Know?

It stores air beneath enlarged hind coxal plates, which act as a built-in oxygen reservoir while submerged.