Malaysian Trilobite Beetle vs Short-winged Spondylid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Malaysian Trilobite Beetle Short-winged Spondylid
Scientific Name Platerodrilus ruficollis Spondylis buprestoides
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Lycidae Cerambycidae
Size 40-80 mm females, 8-10 mm males 12-24 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Indonesia) Europe, North Africa, Siberia, Japan
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Malaysian Trilobite Beetle

A bizarre beetle whose larviform females retain a flat, segmented larval appearance throughout life, resembling ancient trilobites. Males are small, winged, and conventionally beetle-shaped.

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Did You Know?

The flat, armored female looks so unlike a typical beetle that it was originally described as a separate species from the male.

Short-winged Spondylid

A cylindrical, entirely black cerambycid that resembles a buprestid beetle more than a typical longhorn. Its antennae are short and beadlike, unusual for the family. Larvae develop in dead pine roots and stumps.

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Did You Know?

Its short antennae and cylindrical shape are so unlike a typical longhorn that it was once placed in its own family.