New Zealand Tiger Beetle vs Wheat Stem Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute New Zealand Tiger Beetle Wheat Stem Sawfly
Scientific Name Neocicindela tuberculata Cephus cinctus
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cicindelidae Cephidae
Size 10-14 mm 8-13 mm (adult)
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions Oceania (New Zealand) North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

Wheat Stem Sawfly

A major pest of wheat and barley on the northern Great Plains of North America. Larvae bore inside stems, weakening them and causing lodging.

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Did You Know?

Larvae girdle the stem base before pupating, causing the stem to fall over at harvest.