Sicardi's Dung Beetle vs Giant Wood Hoverfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sicardi's Dung Beetle Giant Wood Hoverfly
Scientific Name Helictopleurus sicardi Temnostoma vespiforme
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Scarabaeidae Syrphidae
Size 8-13 mm 14-18 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Dung Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Madagascar Europe
Conservation Data Deficient Least Concern

Sicardi's Dung Beetle

A compact forest dung beetle with a glossy black body and strongly punctured elytra. Males have a small but distinct cephalic horn used in competitive encounters.

💡

Did You Know?

It is part of the ancient Helictopleurus radiation that diverged from continental African dung beetles over 30 million years ago.

Giant Wood Hoverfly

A large, wasp-mimicking hoverfly with yellow and black banding and a slender waist. Its larvae develop in decaying wood of fallen trees in old-growth forests.

💡

Did You Know?

It is considered an indicator species for ancient woodland due to its dependence on large volumes of decaying timber.