Yellow-legged Aleocharine vs Arctic Ground Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Yellow-legged Aleocharine | Arctic Ground Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aleochara curtula | Amara alpina |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Staphylinidae | Carabidae |
| Size | 5-8 mm | 5-8 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Tundra & Arctic |
| Diet | Predators | Herbivores |
| Regions | Europe, Asia | Arctic Scandinavia, northern Russia, Siberia, Arctic Canada, Greenland |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Yellow-legged Aleocharine
A medium-sized aleocharine rove beetle whose larvae are parasitoids of fly pupae, a rare strategy among beetles. Adults are predators at carrion and dung where they also lay eggs.
Did You Know?
The larva enters a fly pupa, consumes the developing fly inside, and completes its own metamorphosis within the empty puparium.
Arctic Ground Beetle
A small, dark bronze ground beetle found on Arctic and alpine tundra. It has a broad, flattened body ideal for sheltering under stones. Adults are active during the brief Arctic summer and are partially herbivorous.
Did You Know?
This beetle has been found in Quaternary fossil deposits across northern Europe, showing it has inhabited the tundra since the last Ice Age.