Black Burying Beetle vs Arboreal Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Burying Beetle Arboreal Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Nicrophorus humator Dromius quadrimaculatus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Silphidae Carabidae
Size 18-26mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Woodlands
Diet Carrion Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black Burying Beetle

A large all-black burying beetle with orange-tipped antennae. It buries animal carcasses for its larvae.

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Did You Know?

One of the largest burying beetles in Europe and can inter a mouse-sized carcass in just a few hours.

Arboreal Ground Beetle

A small, flattened ground beetle that lives primarily on trees rather than on the ground. It has a dark brown body with four pale spots on its elytra and hides under bark.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most ground beetles, it spends its entire life on trees and is rarely found on the ground, challenging the common name of the family.