Two-Spotted Dung Beetle vs Snow Patch Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Two-Spotted Dung Beetle Snow Patch Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Onthophagus nuchicornis Nebria rufescens
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Carabidae
Size 6-9 mm 8-11 mm
Habitat Grasslands Mountains
Diet Dung Feeders Predators
Regions Europe, Asia, introduced to North America Scandinavia, Alps, Scotland
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.

Snow Patch Ground Beetle

A reddish-brown ground beetle found near persistent snow patches. It is among the first predators to colonize newly exposed ground after snowmelt.

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Did You Know?

It can detect prey vibrations through the loose gravel substrate it inhabits.