Paroster Subterranean Beetle vs Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Paroster Subterranean Beetle Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Paroster macrosturtensis Abax parallelepipedus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Dytiscidae Carabidae
Size 2-3 mm 18-22 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Predators
Regions Australia Western and Central Europe
Conservation Data Deficient Least Concern

Paroster Subterranean Beetle

A blind subterranean diving beetle from groundwater calcretes in the Western Australian arid zone. It is completely depigmented and lacks functional eyes.

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Did You Know?

Multiple species of subterranean Paroster have evolved independently in isolated aquifers.

Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle

A large, shiny black ground beetle with a distinctive parallel-sided body shape. It is one of the most common large carabids in European woodlands, active at night under logs and stones.

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Did You Know?

Its perfectly rectangular body shape is so precise and regular that it was given the species name 'parallelepipedus,' meaning resembling a geometric parallelepiped.