Sharp's Rove Beetle vs Harris's Diving Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sharp's Rove Beetle Harris's Diving Beetle
Scientific Name Philonthus sharpi Dytiscus harrisii
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Dytiscidae
Size 7-10 mm 33-40 mm
Habitat Woodlands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Detritivores Omnivores
Regions Japan, Korea, Eastern China North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sharp's Rove Beetle

A medium-sized, metallic-sheened rove beetle named after the eminent coleopterist David Sharp. It is found in woodland and forest habitats where it hunts among leaf litter.

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Did You Know?

Named after David Sharp, the Victorian entomologist who described over 3,000 staphylinid species and wrote the definitive 19th-century monograph on rove beetles.

Harris's Diving Beetle

A large North American diving beetle found in cold, clear lakes and bog ponds. It is one of the largest diving beetles on the continent.

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Did You Know?

It can remain submerged for extended periods by trapping air under its elytra, which it uses like an external lung.