Papua New Guinea Jewel Beetle vs California Web Spinner

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Papua New Guinea Jewel Beetle California Web Spinner
Scientific Name Chrysochroa mniszechii Oligotoma moestum
Order Coleoptera Embioptera
Family Buprestidae Oligotomidae
Size 25-40 mm 7.0-10.0 mm
Habitat Forests Gardens
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Oceania (Papua New Guinea) North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Papua New Guinea Jewel Beetle

A spectacularly colourful jewel beetle found in Papua New Guinea, with an iridescent metallic body that shifts between green, blue, and purple. Like all buprestids, its larvae are wood borers. Adults are found on logs and tree trunks in tropical forest.

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Did You Know?

The brilliant metallic colours of jewel beetles are caused by thin-film interference in layered structures within their exoskeleton, inspiring biomimetic research in optics.

California Web Spinner

A small introduced web spinner now established in California and other warm parts of the United States. It is commonly found in gardens and around buildings.

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Did You Know?

This species was accidentally introduced to the Americas and is now one of the few web spinners most North Americans ever encounter.