Ornate Click Beetle vs Schaus Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ornate Click Beetle Schaus Swallowtail
Scientific Name Semiotus distinctus Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Elateridae Papilionidae
Size 20-30 mm 83-95 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Central America, South America Florida Keys, United States
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Ornate Click Beetle

A brightly colored tropical click beetle with yellow elytra marked with bold black stripes or spots. It is frequently encountered at lights in Central and South American forests.

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Did You Know?

The vivid yellow and black pattern likely serves as aposematic warning coloration, signaling distastefulness to predators.

Schaus Swallowtail

A dark swallowtail with yellow bands and rusty-brown hindwing patches restricted to hardwood hammocks of the Florida Keys. It is one of the most endangered butterflies in the United States.

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Did You Know?

After Hurricane Andrew in 1992 nearly wiped out the species, a captive breeding program at the University of Florida saved it from extinction.