Red-spotted Jewel Beetle vs Mole-nest Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Red-spotted Jewel Beetle Mole-nest Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Castiarina erythroptera Quedius mesomelinus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Buprestidae Staphylinidae
Size 10-16 mm 6-9 mm
Habitat Woodlands Tundra & Arctic
Diet Nectar Feeders Predators
Regions Australia, Oceania Europe, Western Asia, introduced to North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Red-spotted Jewel Beetle

A strikingly beautiful jewel beetle with bright red elytra spotted with dark markings. It is commonly found visiting wildflowers in heathland and open woodland habitats during spring and summer.

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Did You Know?

Castiarina jewel beetles are important pollinators of native Australian wildflowers, visiting hundreds of flower species.

Mole-nest Rove Beetle

A medium-sized, dark rove beetle commonly found in caves, cellars, and the nests of burrowing mammals. It is one of the most troglophilic rove beetles in the Palearctic region.

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Did You Know?

This beetle is one of the most commonly recorded beetle species in European caves, thriving in the perpetual darkness.