Red Mushroom Beetle vs Fruit Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Red Mushroom Beetle Fruit Fly
Scientific Name Oxyporus rufus Drosophila melanogaster
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Staphylinidae Drosophilidae
Size 7-12 mm 2-4 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Red Mushroom Beetle

A striking red and black rove beetle that lives in and feeds on fresh mushroom caps. Has large, powerful mandibles for cutting fungal tissue. One of the few herbivorous rove beetles.

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Did You Know?

Unusual among rove beetles for being a herbivore, with powerful mandibles adapted for cutting through fungal tissue.

Fruit Fly

The most studied organism in genetics. Six Nobel Prizes have been awarded for research on this tiny fly. 75% of human disease genes have recognizable matches in its genome.

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Did You Know?

The fruit fly shares 60% of its DNA with humans and 75% of human disease genes have a match in the fruit fly genome — making it invaluable for medical research.