Wide-Headed Dung Beetle vs Imbrasia Silk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wide-Headed Dung Beetle Imbrasia Silk Moth
Scientific Name Onthophagus nigriventris Imbrasia epimethea
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Saturniidae
Size 7-12 mm 90-130 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Dung Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions East Africa West and Central Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wide-Headed Dung Beetle

A small, greenish-bronze tunneling dung beetle from East Africa with a very wide head in major males. The broad head is used to block tunnel entrances against rivals. It is common in savanna grasslands.

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Did You Know?

Minor males, which lack the wide head, instead dig sneaky side tunnels to bypass the guarding major male.

Imbrasia Silk Moth

A large West African saturniid with reddish-brown wings bearing dark eyespots. Its caterpillars are among the most widely consumed edible insects in the Congo Basin.

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Did You Know?

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, caterpillars of Imbrasia epimethea are a staple food and are sold in markets throughout the country.