Molossus Scarab vs Fire Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Molossus Scarab Fire Beetle
Scientific Name Catharsius molossus Pyrophorus divergens
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Elateridae
Size 25-40 mm 20-30 mm
Habitat Grasslands Forests
Diet Dung Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia Central America, South America
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.

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Did You Know?

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

Fire Beetle

A bioluminescent click beetle from Central American forests. Its glowing thoracic spots are visible from several meters away in total darkness.

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Did You Know?

Spanish conquistadors reported seeing forests glowing with thousands of these beetles and initially thought they were supernatural phenomena.