Saphirinus Dung Beetle vs Autumnal Moth
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Saphirinus Dung Beetle | Autumnal Moth |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coprophanaeus saphirinus | Epirrita autumnata |
| Order | Coleoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Scarabaeidae | Geometridae |
| Size | 18-30 mm | 28-35 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Forests | Forests |
| Diet | Dung Feeders | Herbivores |
| Regions | South America (Brazil, Argentina) | Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, subarctic Siberia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Saphirinus Dung Beetle
A stunning metallic sapphire-blue tunneling dung beetle with brilliant iridescence. Males have a prominent horn. It is one of the most beautifully colored dung beetles in the Neotropics and an important decomposer.
Did You Know?
The sapphire-blue metallic sheen is so intense that museum specimens retain their color for over a century.
Autumnal Moth
A grayish-brown moth with faint wavy crosslines on the forewings. It flies in autumn in subarctic birch forests. Periodic outbreaks of its larvae can completely defoliate vast areas of mountain birch forest.
Did You Know?
Outbreaks of this moth in Scandinavian birch forests occur roughly every 10 years and can kill entire mountain birch forests across thousands of hectares.