Predatory Dung Beetle vs Gray's Thorny Stick Insect

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Predatory Dung Beetle Gray's Thorny Stick Insect
Scientific Name Deltochilum valgum Haaniella grayii
Order Coleoptera Phasmatodea
Family Scarabaeidae Heteropterygidae
Size 15-22 mm 8-12 cm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions South America Malaysia (Borneo), Brunei
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Predatory Dung Beetle

An unusual roller dung beetle that has evolved predatory behavior, actively hunting and killing millipedes. It is dark brown to black with a flattened body shape. The species represents a remarkable dietary shift within dung beetles.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the only known predatory dung beetles, using its clypeus to decapitate millipedes before rolling the carcass away.

Gray's Thorny Stick Insect

A large thorny stick insect named after the zoologist John Edward Gray. It inhabits the dense rainforests of Borneo.

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Did You Know?

Borneo is the center of Heteropterygidae diversity, with more species than any other region.