Wrinkled Rove Beetle vs Vacca Dung Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wrinkled Rove Beetle Vacca Dung Beetle
Scientific Name Oxytelus rugosus Onthophagus vacca
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Scarabaeidae
Size 3-5 mm 6-12 mm
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Grasslands
Diet Dung Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, introduced to North America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wrinkled Rove Beetle

A small, flattened rove beetle with a heavily sculptured pronotum bearing deep longitudinal furrows. It is one of the most common dung-inhabiting staphylinids across the Palearctic region.

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Did You Know?

This beetle is among the first colonizers of fresh dung pats, arriving within minutes of deposition to prey on fly eggs.

Vacca Dung Beetle

A small coppery-green to bronze tunneler with a broad head and short horns in males. It is a common pasture dung beetle across Europe. The metallic sheen distinguishes it from many congeners.

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Did You Know?

Males with longer horns guard tunnel entrances while hornless males sneak through side tunnels to mate.