Spider Beetle vs Kaup Bess Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spider Beetle Kaup Bess Beetle
Scientific Name Mezium americanum Passalus interstitialis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Ptinidae Passalidae
Size 2-4 mm 30-40 mm
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Detritivores Wood Feeders
Regions North America, Europe Central America, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Spider Beetle

A globular beetle that closely resembles a small spider in shape and movement.

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Did You Know?

Its round shiny abdomen and long legs give it a convincing spider-like appearance.

Kaup Bess Beetle

A large, elongate, shiny black bess beetle with prominent mandibles and longitudinal grooves on the elytra. It is the most common Passalid in Central America. Colonies of adults and larvae inhabit decaying logs.

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Did You Know?

Bess beetles are subsocial insects where parents and offspring live together and cooperate in maintaining their log galleries.