Large Gold Rove Beetle vs Widow Skimmer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large Gold Rove Beetle Widow Skimmer
Scientific Name Staphylinus caesareus Libellula luctuosa
Order Coleoptera Odonata
Family Staphylinidae Libellulidae
Size 17-25 mm 60-68 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Ponds & Lakes
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Europe, Western Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Large Gold Rove Beetle

A large and handsome rove beetle with golden pubescence on its thorax and bright orange abdominal bands. It is an aggressive predator of carrion-feeding insects.

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Did You Know?

Its species name caesareus means imperial, referring to its regal golden markings.

Widow Skimmer

A distinctive dragonfly with broad dark wing patches at the base and white bands beyond them in mature males. Females and young males lack the white bands.

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Did You Know?

The widow skimmer gets its somber common name from the dark mourning-veil-like patches on the wings of females.