Wasp Beetle vs Helena Olive Wireworm Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wasp Beetle Helena Olive Wireworm Beetle
Scientific Name Clytus arietis Tarphius wollastoni
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cerambycidae Zopheridae
Size 7-14 mm 0.3-0.6 cm
Habitat Underground Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Fungus Feeders
Regions Europe St. Helena
Conservation Least Concern Critically Endangered

Wasp Beetle

A longhorn beetle with yellow and black banding that mimics a common wasp. It even moves in a jerky, wasp-like manner.

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Did You Know?

It is completely harmless but its convincing wasp mimicry deters most predators.

Helena Olive Wireworm Beetle

A small beetle endemic to St. Helena in the South Atlantic. It is associated with decaying endemic gumwood trees.

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Did You Know?

St. Helena's native gumwood forests have been reduced to a few tiny remnant patches since colonization.