North American Hide Beetle vs Xanthostigma Snakefly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | North American Hide Beetle | Xanthostigma Snakefly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Trox scaber | Xanthostigma xanthostigma |
| Order | Coleoptera | Raphidioptera |
| Family | Trogidae | Raphidiidae |
| Size | 5-9 mm | 12-18 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Carrion Feeders | Predators |
| Regions | North America, Europe | Europe, Western Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
North American Hide Beetle
A small, oval, grayish-brown beetle with heavily sculptured elytra covered in rows of bumps and encrusted soil. It specializes in consuming dried keratin-rich animal remains. Found in owl pellets, bird nests, and old carcasses.
Did You Know?
Forensic entomologists use the presence of hide beetles to estimate time since death in very old remains.
Xanthostigma Snakefly
A snakefly with a distinctive yellow wing stigma from which it derives its name. It is found in European woodlands where it hunts small insects on tree trunks.
Did You Know?
Snakefly larvae develop under bark where they are voracious predators of bark beetle larvae and other wood-boring insects.