Spanish Fly Beetle vs Flat Silphid Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spanish Fly Beetle Flat Silphid Beetle
Scientific Name Berberomeloe majalis Silpha tristis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Meloidae Silphidae
Size 30-70mm 10-15 mm
Habitat Grasslands Farmland
Diet Herbivores Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe, Africa North America
Conservation Vulnerable Least Concern

Spanish Fly Beetle

A huge wingless blister beetle with a massively swollen red and black banded abdomen. The largest European meloid.

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Did You Know?

One of the largest beetle species in Europe with a body so heavy it resembles a fat caterpillar more than a beetle.

Flat Silphid Beetle

A flattened, all-black silphid beetle with three raised ridges on each wing case. It feeds on snails and caterpillars rather than carrion.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most silphids, it has shifted entirely to predation and is rarely found on carrion at all.