Xantholine Rove Beetle vs Short-winged Spondylid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Xantholine Rove Beetle Short-winged Spondylid
Scientific Name Xantholinus linearis Spondylis buprestoides
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Cerambycidae
Size 6-9 mm 12-24 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Predators Root Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, North America Europe, North Africa, Siberia, Japan
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Xantholine Rove Beetle

An elongated, shiny black rove beetle with a distinctive long head. It hunts small invertebrates in soil and under bark.

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Did You Know?

Its extremely elongated head allows it to probe deep into bark crevices and soil pores for hidden prey.

Short-winged Spondylid

A cylindrical, entirely black cerambycid that resembles a buprestid beetle more than a typical longhorn. Its antennae are short and beadlike, unusual for the family. Larvae develop in dead pine roots and stumps.

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Did You Know?

Its short antennae and cylindrical shape are so unlike a typical longhorn that it was once placed in its own family.