Western Harvester Ant vs Yellow-Winged Darter Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Western Harvester Ant Yellow-Winged Darter Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Philonthus cognatus
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Formicidae Staphylinidae
Size 6-10 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Western United States and southwestern Canada Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Western Harvester Ant

A large red ant that constructs conspicuous gravel-topped mound nests in western grasslands. It clears all vegetation from a wide circle around its nest entrance.

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Did You Know?

Its sting is one of the most painful among North American ants and has been rated highly on the Schmidt pain index.

Yellow-Winged Darter Rove Beetle

A medium-sized, metallic-black rove beetle with brownish wing tips. It is one of the most common staphylinids in European grasslands.

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Did You Know?

Over 1,000 species belong to the genus Philonthus, making it one of the most species-rich beetle genera on Earth.