Stinking Rove Beetle vs Spring Firefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Stinking Rove Beetle Spring Firefly
Scientific Name Ocypus nero Photinus ardens
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Lampyridae
Size 16-25 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Predators
Regions Southern Europe, Mediterranean North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Stinking Rove Beetle

A jet-black rove beetle with finely punctured elytra and a broad head. It emits a foul-smelling secretion when disturbed.

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Did You Know?

Its defensive odour is produced by abdominal glands and is potent enough to deter birds and small mammals.

Spring Firefly

A small early-season firefly of the eastern United States with a distinctive fast double-pulse flash pattern. It has a dark body with a pinkish-red pronotum and is among the first fireflies to appear each year.

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Did You Know?

This species often begins flashing earlier in the evening than most other North American fireflies.