White-Lined Darkling Beetle vs Downy Leatherwing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute White-Lined Darkling Beetle Downy Leatherwing
Scientific Name Eleodes longicollis Podabrus tomentosus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Tenebrionidae Cantharidae
Size 20-28 mm 9-12 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Rivers & Streams
Diet Detritivores Herbivores
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

White-Lined Darkling Beetle

A smooth, elongated darkling beetle with a distinctively long pronotum. It is common in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts.

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Did You Know?

Like other Eleodes, it performs a headstand to spray noxious chemicals at attackers.

Downy Leatherwing

A North American soldier beetle covered in fine pubescence, found on flowers and foliage in summer. It is an effective predator of aphids and other small insects.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are active predators in leaf litter and can even survive brief periods of freezing temperatures.