Ross's Web Spinner vs Black Aphodius

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ross's Web Spinner Black Aphodius
Scientific Name Chelicerca rubra Aphodius fimetarius
Order Embioptera Coleoptera
Family Chelicercidae Scarabaeidae
Size 8.0-12.0 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions Africa Europe, North America, Asia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Ross's Web Spinner

A reddish-brown web spinner found in tropical Africa that builds silk tunnels on tree bark. It is one of the more brightly colored embiopterans.

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Did You Know?

The reddish coloration of this web spinner is unusual in the order, as most species are drab brown or black.

Black Aphodius

A small dweller dung beetle with a black head and pronotum and reddish-brown elytra. It lives directly within dung pats rather than tunneling or rolling. One of the most common and widespread dung beetles in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Did You Know?

Unlike roller and tunneler species, dwellers complete their entire life cycle within the dung pat itself.