Polished Rove Beetle vs Kidney-Spot Ladybird

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Polished Rove Beetle Kidney-Spot Ladybird
Scientific Name Philonthus politus Chilocorus renipustulatus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Coccinellidae
Size 9-13 mm 4-5 mm
Habitat Underground Orchards
Diet Detritivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia, North Africa Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Polished Rove Beetle

A medium-sized rove beetle with an exceptionally smooth, polished black integument and reddish-brown legs. It is a generalist predator found in a wide range of decomposing organic substrates.

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Did You Know?

This species produces antimicrobial compounds in its defensive secretions that help protect it from the pathogen-rich environments it inhabits.

Kidney-Spot Ladybird

A small black ladybird with two red kidney-shaped spots, found across Europe. It specializes in feeding on scale insects on tree bark.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most ladybirds, it is primarily found on bark rather than on leaves, hunting scale insects in crevices.