Passalid Beetle vs Lesser Silver Water Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Passalid Beetle Lesser Silver Water Beetle
Scientific Name Pharochilus dilatatus Hydrochara flavipes
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Passalidae Hydrophilidae
Size 25-35 mm 12-16 mm
Habitat Forests Ponds & Lakes
Diet Wood Feeders Scavengers
Regions Australia East Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Lesser Silver Water Beetle

A medium-sized water scavenger beetle found in still waters across East Asia. Its legs have distinctive yellowish tarsi.

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Did You Know?

It is commonly encountered in rice paddies where it helps break down organic matter in the flooded fields.