Spotted Asparagus Beetle vs North American Hide Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spotted Asparagus Beetle North American Hide Beetle
Scientific Name Crioceris duodecimpunctata Trox scaber
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Trogidae
Size 6-7 mm 5-9 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe, introduced to North America North America, Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Spotted Asparagus Beetle

A reddish-orange beetle with twelve black spots on its elytra. It is a pest of asparagus, with larvae feeding inside the berries.

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Did You Know?

Unlike its relative the common asparagus beetle, its larvae feed inside the berries rather than on stems.

North American Hide Beetle

A small, oval, grayish-brown beetle with heavily sculptured elytra covered in rows of bumps and encrusted soil. It specializes in consuming dried keratin-rich animal remains. Found in owl pellets, bird nests, and old carcasses.

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Did You Know?

Forensic entomologists use the presence of hide beetles to estimate time since death in very old remains.