Common Burying Beetle vs Splendid Jewel Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Burying Beetle Splendid Jewel Beetle
Scientific Name Nicrophorus vespillo Buprestis splendens
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Silphidae Buprestidae
Size 12-22 mm 15-21 mm
Habitat Underground Forests
Diet Carrion Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Critically Endangered

Common Burying Beetle

A large orange-and-black beetle that buries small animal carcasses for its larvae. Uses chemical cues to locate corpses from great distances. Shows remarkable parental care with both parents tending larvae.

💡

Did You Know?

Can bury a dead mouse completely underground in just a few hours by excavating soil from beneath the carcass.

Splendid Jewel Beetle

A spectacularly metallic green and gold jewel beetle found only in old-growth forests. Develops in ancient pine trees. One of Europe's rarest beetles due to loss of old-growth forest.

💡

Did You Know?

Requires pine trees over 200 years old to complete its development, making ancient forests essential for survival.