Polar Rove Beetle vs Neotropical Scarab Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Polar Rove Beetle Neotropical Scarab Beetle
Scientific Name Atheta graminicola Coprophanaeus lancifer
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Scarabaeidae
Size 2-4 mm 35-45 mm
Habitat Heathland Forests
Diet Herbivores Dung Feeders
Regions Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Iceland, subarctic Canada Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Polar Rove Beetle

A tiny, elongate rove beetle with short wing covers and a flexible abdomen. It is dark brown to black and very agile. It lives among decaying vegetation and is a predator of mites and other small arthropods.

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Did You Know?

Rove beetles like this species can raise their abdomens like scorpions to deter predators, though they have no stinger.

Neotropical Scarab Beetle

The largest dung beetle in the Americas with a striking metallic blue-black body. Males bear a long curved horn on the head used in fights over resources.

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Did You Know?

Unlike typical dung beetles, this species strongly prefers carrion over dung and is often the first beetle to arrive at dead animals.