Molossus Scarab vs African Commodore Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Molossus Scarab African Commodore Butterfly
Scientific Name Catharsius molossus Precis pelarga
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Nymphalidae
Size 25-40 mm 45-55 mm wingspan
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Dung Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia Southern Africa, East Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Molossus Scarab

A large, robust black tunneling dung beetle found across South and Southeast Asia. Males have a prominent curved horn on the head and two smaller pronotal horns. It is one of the most common large dung beetles in Asian pastures.

💡

Did You Know?

This species can bury an amount of dung equal to 250 times its body weight in a single night.

African Commodore Butterfly

A medium-sized butterfly with warm orange-brown wings and subtle eyespots near the wing margins. It is common in open bushveld and grasslands.

💡

Did You Know?

Dry-season and wet-season forms look so different they were originally described as separate species.