Two-Spotted Dung Beetle vs Jet Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Two-Spotted Dung Beetle Jet Beetle
Scientific Name Onthophagus nuchicornis Stenus comma
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Staphylinidae
Size 6-9 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Grasslands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Dung Feeders Predators
Regions Europe, Asia, introduced to North America Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Jet Beetle

A tiny, goggle-eyed rove beetle that hunts with a remarkable extendable labium tipped with adhesive pads. It can also skim across water surfaces using a unique chemical propulsion mechanism.

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Did You Know?

Stenus beetles secrete stenusine from pygidial glands, which lowers water surface tension behind them, propelling them across water at speeds up to 70 cm per second.