Sharp's Rove Beetle vs Venezuelan Pebble Toad Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sharp's Rove Beetle Venezuelan Pebble Toad Fly
Scientific Name Philonthus sharpi Pantophthalmus bellardii
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Staphylinidae Pantophthalmidae
Size 7-10 mm 30-40 mm body length
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Detritivores Parasitoids
Regions Japan, Korea, Eastern China South America (Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Peru)
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.

Venezuelan Pebble Toad Fly

One of the largest flies in the world, with robust bodies reaching 40 mm and a wingspan exceeding 70 mm. The larvae develop inside rotting tree trunks. Adults resemble large bumblebees and are strong, buzzing fliers attracted to fermenting sap.

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Did You Know?

It is among the largest flies on Earth, with larvae that bore through hardwood so effectively they were once thought to be beetle larvae.