Sumatran Neon Jewel Beetle vs African Soldier Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sumatran Neon Jewel Beetle African Soldier Beetle
Scientific Name Chrysochroa rajah Cantharis africana
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Buprestidae Cantharidae
Size 35-50 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Forests Heathland
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Indonesia) Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sumatran Neon Jewel Beetle

An extraordinarily vibrant jewel beetle with iridescent green elytra bearing a wide metallic golden-red stripe down each side. The ventral surface shines with metallic blue-green tones.

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Did You Know?

Its elytra are among the most sought-after in the jewel beetle trade and have been used in traditional metalwork jewelry for centuries.

African Soldier Beetle

A soft-bodied soldier beetle from Sub-Saharan Africa with orange-brown elytra and a darker head region. Like other cantharids, it has flexible elytra and is an active predator of small insects on flowers.

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Did You Know?

Soldier beetles are important pollinators in their own right, transferring pollen between flowers as they hunt for prey.