Sri Lankan Relict Ant Beetle vs African Earwig

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sri Lankan Relict Ant Beetle African Earwig
Scientific Name Helota vigorsii Forficula senegalensis
Order Coleoptera Dermaptera
Family Helotidae Forficulidae
Size 0.5-1 cm 10-16 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Detritivores
Regions Sri Lanka East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia)
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Sri Lankan Relict Ant Beetle

A rare beetle found only in the wet zone forests of Sri Lanka. It lives under bark and is associated with fungal growths on dead wood.

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Did You Know?

This beetle belongs to a relict family with fewer than 100 known species worldwide.

African Earwig

A small, dark brown earwig with distinctive curved cerci (pincers) at the tip of the abdomen. It is nocturnal and hides in dark crevices during the day.

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Did You Know?

Mother earwigs exhibit remarkable maternal care, guarding their eggs and cleaning them to prevent fungal infection, then protecting the nymphs after hatching.