Madeiran Ground Beetle vs Southern Oak Bush-Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Madeiran Ground Beetle Southern Oak Bush-Cricket
Scientific Name Carabus lundbladi Meconema meridionale
Order Coleoptera Orthoptera
Family Carabidae Tettigoniidae
Size 20-25 mm 11-15 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Madeira (Portugal) Southern and Western Europe (expanding northward)
Conservation Vulnerable Least Concern

Madeiran Ground Beetle

A large, black, flightless ground beetle endemic to the island of Madeira. It inhabits the ancient laurel forests that are remnants of a once-widespread subtropical forest.

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Did You Know?

Madeira's ancient laurel forests are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and harbor several endemic invertebrate species including this beetle that have survived there since before the last ice age.

Southern Oak Bush-Cricket

A small, wingless relative of the oak bush-cricket that has rapidly spread northward across Europe, likely aided by accidental transport in vehicles. It is fully arboreal and flightless.

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Did You Know?

Being flightless, it likely spread across Europe by hitchhiking on cars and trucks parked under infested trees.