Sallfly vs Red-legged Shieldback Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sallfly Red-legged Shieldback Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Chloroperla tripunctata Badister bullatus
Order Plecoptera Coleoptera
Family Chloroperlidae Carabidae
Size 6-10 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Farmland
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Europe Europe, western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sallfly

A small, bright green stonefly with three distinctive dark spots on its head. It is common in clean European upland streams during spring.

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Did You Know?

The three dark dots on its head give this species its Latin name tripunctata, meaning three-spotted.

Red-legged Shieldback Ground Beetle

A small, attractively colored ground beetle with a reddish-orange head and legs contrasting with dark elytra. It is a snail egg predator found across Europe and known for its specialized diet.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few ground beetle species that specializes in finding and eating slug and snail eggs underground, making it a valuable natural control for these garden pests.