Lesser Stag Beetle vs Long-horned Ant-loving Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lesser Stag Beetle Long-horned Ant-loving Beetle
Scientific Name Dorcus parallelipipedus Claviger longicornis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Lucanidae Staphylinidae
Size 19-32 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Woodlands Underground
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe Central and Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Lesser Stag Beetle

A robust, matt-black beetle found across European woodlands. Unlike its larger cousin, both sexes have similarly sized mandibles.

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Did You Know?

Larvae take three to four years to develop inside rotting logs before pupating.

Long-horned Ant-loving Beetle

A minute, blind pselaphine rove beetle with elongate antennae relative to its body size. Like its congeners, it is an obligate myrmecophile entirely dependent on host ants for nutrition.

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Did You Know?

The elongate antennae of this blind beetle serve as its primary sensory organs for navigating the total darkness of its underground ant-nest home.