Two-Spotted Dung Beetle vs Four-banded Furrow Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Two-Spotted Dung Beetle Four-banded Furrow Bee
Scientific Name Onthophagus nuchicornis Halictus quadricinctus
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Halictidae
Size 6-9 mm 14-16 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Dung Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, introduced to North America Southern and Central Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Two-Spotted Dung Beetle

A small, mottled brown and yellow tunneling dung beetle with two dark spots on the pronotum. Males have a single backward-pointing horn on the nape. It is one of the most common dung beetles in European pastures.

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Did You Know?

This species was accidentally introduced to North America and is now one of the most common dung beetles on the continent.

Four-banded Furrow Bee

A large, robust halictid bee with four prominent white hair bands across its dark abdomen. It is one of the biggest sweat bees in Europe.

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Did You Know?

At up to 16 mm long, it is almost as large as a honey bee and dwarfs most other species in its family.