Narrow-necked Ant Beetle vs New Zealand Tiger Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Narrow-necked Ant Beetle New Zealand Tiger Beetle
Scientific Name Dinarda dentata Neocicindela tuberculata
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Cicindelidae
Size 3-5 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Woodlands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Gall Makers Predators
Regions Europe, Northern Asia Oceania (New Zealand)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Narrow-necked Ant Beetle

A flattened, reddish-brown aleocharine rove beetle that inhabits Formica ant nests as a tolerated guest. Its flattened body allows it to move easily through narrow ant nest galleries.

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Did You Know?

If attacked by an ant, this beetle raises its abdomen to present its appeasement glands, releasing chemicals that calm the aggressor.

New Zealand Tiger Beetle

An endemic tiger beetle found on sandy and clay soils throughout New Zealand. It is an active visual predator that runs down prey on bare ground. The larvae are ambush predators that live in vertical burrows in the soil.

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Did You Know?

New Zealand tiger beetles run so fast relative to their size that they temporarily go blind during pursuit, having to stop and re-locate their prey before sprinting again.