Northern Ground Beetle vs Neotropical Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Northern Ground Beetle	Neotropical Rove Beetle
Scientific Name	Pelophila borealis	Xanthopygus cognatus
Order	Coleoptera	Coleoptera
Family	Carabidae	Staphylinidae
Size	10-14 mm	12-18 mm
Habitat	Tundra & Arctic	Woodlands
Diet	Predators	Fruit Feeders
Regions	Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Siberia, Arctic Canada, Alaska	Central and South America, Brazil to Mexico
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Northern Ground Beetle

A medium-sized, dark metallic green or bronze ground beetle with long legs. It is an active predator on riverbanks and lakeshores in Arctic regions. Adults run rapidly across muddy substrates hunting small invertebrates.

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Did You Know?

This beetle can withstand brief submersion in near-freezing water and quickly resumes hunting once it reaches dry ground.

Neotropical Rove Beetle

A large, strikingly colored rove beetle with a bright orange pronotum contrasting with black elytra and head. It is one of the most conspicuous staphylinids in the Neotropical region.

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Did You Know?

The bright orange and black coloration of this beetle is thought to be aposematic, warning predators of its unpalatable defensive secretions.