West African Tiger Beetle vs Four-spotted Dung Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | West African Tiger Beetle | Four-spotted Dung Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megacephala megacephala | Helictopleurus quadripunctatus |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Cicindelidae | Scarabaeidae |
| Size | 18-25 mm | 12-18 mm |
| Habitat | Rivers & Streams | Farmland |
| Diet | Predators | Dung Feeders |
| Regions | West Africa (Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana) | Madagascar |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
West African Tiger Beetle
A large, nocturnal tiger beetle with a broad head and powerful mandibles. The body is dark brown to black with subtle metallic reflections. It is a fast runner that hunts other insects on sandy ground at night.
Did You Know?
Tiger beetles are among the fastest running insects, capable of sprinting so fast they temporarily go blind and must stop to re-orient.
Four-spotted Dung Beetle
A medium-sized dung beetle with four distinctive pale spots on its dark elytra. It is one of the few Helictopleurus species that has adapted to open habitats alongside cattle.
Did You Know?
It is one of only five Helictopleurus species that have successfully shifted from forest-dwelling lemur dung specialist to open-habitat cattle dung feeder.