Termitophilous Rove Beetle vs Forest Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Termitophilous Rove Beetle Forest Bug
Scientific Name Corotoca melantho Pentatoma rufipes
Order Coleoptera Hemiptera
Family Staphylinidae Pentatomidae
Size 5-8 mm (body length without physogastric abdomen) 13-16 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Sap Feeders
Regions Brazil, tropical South America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Termitophilous Rove Beetle

A bizarre, physogastric rove beetle that lives inside termite nests in Brazil. The female's abdomen becomes enormously swollen and translucent, resembling a termite queen in miniature.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the only beetles known to give live birth (viviparity); fully formed larvae emerge from the female rather than eggs.

Forest Bug

A large European shield bug with distinctive red-orange legs and a small tooth on each shoulder. It is arboreal and common on deciduous trees.

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Did You Know?

Despite being mainly herbivorous, it occasionally turns predatory and feeds on caterpillars and other soft insects.