Macrotermes Queen vs Obtuse Rove Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Macrotermes Queen | Obtuse Rove Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Macrotermes bellicosus | Tachyporus obtusus |
| Order | Blattodea | Coleoptera |
| Family | Termitidae | Staphylinidae |
| Size | 100-140 mm (queen) | 3-4 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Grasslands |
| Diet | Fungus Feeders | Predators |
| Regions | Africa | Europe, Western Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Macrotermes Queen
Queens can live for over 25 years (possibly up to 50) and grow to enormous size — a single queen lays up to 30,000 eggs per day, more than any other insect.
Did You Know?
A Macrotermes queen can live 25-50 years and produce up to 30,000 eggs per day — her abdomen swells so large that she becomes physically incapable of moving.
Obtuse Rove Beetle
A tiny, boat-shaped rove beetle with a yellow-brown pronotum and darker elytra. It is common in grasslands and meadows where it hunts among the grass tussocks for small invertebrates.
Did You Know?
This beetle overwinters in grass tussocks at field margins, emerging in spring to colonize crop fields where it provides early-season pest control.