Papua New Guinea Jewel Beetle vs Two-Spotted Dung Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Papua New Guinea Jewel Beetle | Two-Spotted Dung Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chrysochroa mniszechii | Onthophagus nuchicornis |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Buprestidae | Scarabaeidae |
| Size | 25-40 mm | 6-9 mm |
| Habitat | Forests | Grasslands |
| Diet | Wood Feeders | Dung Feeders |
| Regions | Oceania (Papua New Guinea) | Europe, Asia, introduced to North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
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.
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.
Two-Spotted Dung Beetle
A small, mottled brown and yellow tunneling dung beetle with two dark spots on the pronotum. Males have a single backward-pointing horn on the nape. It is one of the most common dung beetles in European pastures.
Did You Know?
This species was accidentally introduced to North America and is now one of the most common dung beetles on the continent.