Satanas Dung Beetle vs Shiny Lined Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Satanas Dung Beetle Shiny Lined Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Dichotomius satanas Xantholinus longiventris
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Staphylinidae
Size 22-35 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Forests Underground
Diet Dung Feeders Predators
Regions South America Europe, Western Asia, introduced to North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Satanas Dung Beetle

A large, pitch-black tunneling dung beetle with a deeply forked cephalic horn in males that gives it a devilish appearance. It is a powerful nocturnal tunneler in South American forests. Its dark coloring provides excellent camouflage at night.

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Did You Know?

Its ominous name comes from the deeply forked horn that resembles devil horns in medieval European art.

Shiny Lined Rove Beetle

A distinctively elongate rove beetle with a shiny black head and pronotum, and reddish-brown elytra. It hunts in narrow spaces and is commonly found in synanthropic habitats.

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Did You Know?

The disproportionately large mandibles of this beetle, relative to its narrow head, allow it to subdue prey in tight spaces where it has a significant advantage.