Tooth-Necked Fungus Beetle vs Flat Silphid Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tooth-Necked Fungus Beetle Flat Silphid Beetle
Scientific Name Bolitotherus cornutus Silpha tristis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Tenebrionidae Silphidae
Size 10-12 mm 10-15 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Fungus Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Eastern North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tooth-Necked Fungus Beetle

A heavily armored, warty brown beetle that feeds on shelf fungi on dead trees. Males have two prominent horns on the thorax.

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Did You Know?

It plays dead so convincingly that it is nearly impossible to distinguish from a piece of bark.

Flat Silphid Beetle

A flattened, all-black silphid beetle with three raised ridges on each wing case. It feeds on snails and caterpillars rather than carrion.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most silphids, it has shifted entirely to predation and is rarely found on carrion at all.