South American Giant Diving Beetle vs Ivory-Spotted Dung Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute South American Giant Diving Beetle Ivory-Spotted Dung Beetle
Scientific Name Megadytes ducalis Euoniticellus pallipes
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Dytiscidae Scarabaeidae
Size 35-45 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Farmland
Diet Omnivores Dung Feeders
Regions Brazil, Amazon Basin Africa, introduced to Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

South American Giant Diving Beetle

One of the largest diving beetles in South America with a glossy dark olive body. It inhabits large rivers and lakes of the Amazon basin.

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Did You Know?

It is among the largest dytiscid beetles in the Western Hemisphere.

Ivory-Spotted Dung Beetle

A small, pale brown tunneling dung beetle with ivory-colored legs. Native to Africa, it has been introduced to several countries as a biological control agent. It is especially efficient in warm, dry climates.

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Did You Know?

This tiny beetle can compete with much larger species by arriving first and tunneling quickly beneath fresh dung.