Sexton Beetle vs Green Carpenter Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sexton Beetle Green Carpenter Bee
Scientific Name Nicrophorus vespilloides Xylocopa aerata
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Silphidae Apidae
Size 12-18 mm 15-20 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Carrion Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, North America Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sexton Beetle

A black and orange carrion beetle that buries small animal carcasses as food for its larvae. Both parents care for the brood.

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Did You Know?

Parents feed their larvae by regurgitating pre-digested carrion, similar to bird feeding behavior.

Green Carpenter Bee

A striking carpenter bee with a metallic green or golden-green thorax found only in Australia. It nests in soft dead wood and pithy plant stems.

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Did You Know?

It is one of only a handful of bee species in the world with vivid metallic green body coloring in the genus Xylocopa.