Moon-Horned Dung Beetle vs Red Helen

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Moon-Horned Dung Beetle Red Helen
Scientific Name Oxysternon festivum Papilio helenus
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Papilionidae
Size 20-32 mm 110-140 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Dung Feeders Omnivores
Regions South America Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Moon-Horned Dung Beetle

A large, dark metallic green or black tunneler with a distinctive crescent-shaped pronotal horn in males. The underside often shows bright metallic green. It is an important decomposer in Neotropical forests.

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Did You Know?

The crescent-shaped horn resembles a lunar crescent, which inspired its common name.

Red Helen

A large, elegant swallowtail butterfly with black wings marked by large creamy-white patches on the hindwings and red crescents along the hindwing margin. It has a slow, sailing flight.

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Did You Know?

The caterpillar has an osmeterium, a bright orange forked organ behind the head that releases a foul smell to deter predators.