Passalid Beetle vs Hawaiian Happy-face Spider

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Passalid Beetle Hawaiian Happy-face Spider
Scientific Name Pharochilus dilatatus Theridion grallator
Order Coleoptera Araneae
Family Passalidae Theridiidae
Size 25-35 mm 5 mm body length
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Australia Hawaii
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Passalid Beetle

A large, glossy black beetle that lives in family groups inside rotting logs. Adults and larvae communicate using squeaking sounds produced by rubbing body parts together.

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Did You Know?

Parents chew wood into pulp to feed their young, making them one of few beetles with true parental care.

Hawaiian Happy-face Spider

A tiny Hawaiian spider with markings on its abdomen that resemble a smiling face. It is endemic to the rainforests of four Hawaiian islands.

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Did You Know?

The smiley-face pattern is thought to confuse predators by disrupting recognition of the spider shape.