Pinacate Beetle vs White Miller Caddisfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pinacate Beetle White Miller Caddisfly
Scientific Name Eleodes armata Nectopsyche albida
Order Coleoptera Trichoptera
Family Tenebrionidae Leptoceridae
Size 25-35 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Detritivores Detritivores
Regions Southwestern North America North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Pinacate Beetle

A shiny black desert beetle with spine-like projections on its legs. It performs a distinctive headstand when threatened.

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Did You Know?

Its defensive headstand pose is so well known that it inspired the Aztec name 'pinacatl' meaning black beetle.

White Miller Caddisfly

A small white caddisfly commonly found near lights along eastern North American waterways. Its delicate white wings make it easily recognizable.

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Did You Know?

White millers swarm around riverside lights in such numbers that they can create slippery hazards on bridges and roadways.