Railroad Worm vs Alpine Rove Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Railroad Worm | Alpine Rove Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phrixothrix hirtus | Ocypus alpestris |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Phengodidae | Staphylinidae |
| Size | 30-65 mm (larvae) | 14-20 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Forests |
| Diet | Omnivores | Predators |
| Regions | South America | Alps, Central European mountains |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Railroad Worm
A beetle larva with 11 pairs of green-glowing lateral organs and a red-glowing headlamp — the only land animal that produces two different colors of bioluminescence simultaneously.
Did You Know?
The railroad worm is the only terrestrial animal that glows in two colors at once — green along its sides like railway car windows and red on its head like a locomotive.
Alpine Rove Beetle
A large, black rove beetle of high-altitude meadows and forest edges. It is a fast-running predator of insects and larvae.
Did You Know?
It raises its flexible abdomen like a scorpion when threatened, though it has no stinger.