Painted Reed Beetle vs Army Ant Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Painted Reed Beetle Army Ant Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Plateumaris sericea Ecitomorpha arachnoides
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Staphylinidae
Size 7-10 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Underground
Diet Root Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia Central America, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Painted Reed Beetle

A brilliantly metallic leaf beetle found on aquatic plants, varying from green to blue, copper, or purple. Larvae feed on submerged root systems.

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Did You Know?

Larvae breathe underwater by tapping into the air channels of aquatic plant roots.

Army Ant Rove Beetle

An extraordinary myrmecophilous rove beetle whose body remarkably mimics the shape of its host army ants. It lives exclusively among New World army ant colonies, marching with them on raids.

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Did You Know?

Its body shape so closely mimics that of its host ant that early entomologists initially classified it as an ant rather than a beetle.