Painted Reed Beetle vs Sexton Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Painted Reed Beetle Sexton Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Plateumaris sericea Quedius dilatatus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Staphylinidae
Size 7-10 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Woodlands
Diet Root Feeders Scavengers
Regions Europe, Asia Europe
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.

Sexton Rove Beetle

A broad, somewhat flattened rove beetle found in the nests of social wasps and in tree hollows containing decaying insect remains. Its expanded body shape is adapted for life in cavity habitats.

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Did You Know?

This beetle waits for wasp colonies to die in autumn, then enters the abandoned nest to feast on the remaining dead wasps and their brood.