South American Tortoise Beetle vs Flying Earwig Hawaiian Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	South American Tortoise Beetle	Flying Earwig Hawaiian Damselfly
Scientific Name	Stolas coalita	Megalagrion nesiotes
Order	Coleoptera	Odonata
Family	Chrysomelidae	Coenagrionidae
Size	10-14 mm	25-32 mm
Habitat	Forests	Forests
Diet	Herbivores	Omnivores
Regions	South America	Oceania (Hawaii - Oahu)
Conservation	Least Concern	Endangered

South American Tortoise Beetle

A moderately large tortoise beetle with a distinctive pattern of dark markings on a lighter background, with broadly expanded elytral margins. Found in tropical South American forests.

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Did You Know?

The broadly expanded margins of its shell-like body can be pressed flat against a leaf surface, creating a sealed edge that is nearly impossible for predators to breach.

Flying Earwig Hawaiian Damselfly

An endemic Hawaiian damselfly found in wet forests, notable for breeding in water-filled leaf axils of native plants rather than streams. It is a small, delicate species. The terrestrial breeding habit is unique among Hawaiian damselflies.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most damselflies, this species lays its eggs in the tiny pools of water that collect in the leaf bases of plants, bypassing the need for streams entirely.