Spiny Oak Slug Moth vs Tropical Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spiny Oak Slug Moth Tropical Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Euclea delphinii Erichsonius cinerascens
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Limacodidae Staphylinidae
Size 22-30 mm wingspan 4-5 mm
Habitat Orchards Wetlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Eastern North America North America, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Spiny Oak Slug Moth

A small colorful moth with green, brown, and silver-spotted forewings. Its flattened, jewel-like caterpillar is green with red and yellow markings and bears stinging spines.

💡

Did You Know?

The ornate caterpillar has been called one of the most beautiful in North America despite its painful sting.

Tropical Rove Beetle

A small, greyish rove beetle found in marshy habitats and pond margins. It is a useful bioindicator of wetland health.

💡

Did You Know?

This beetle can walk on water surfaces using hydrophobic hairs on its tarsi to hunt for aquatic springtails.