Delta Dung Beetle vs Knotgrass Leaf Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Delta Dung Beetle Knotgrass Leaf Beetle
Scientific Name Deltochilum orbiculare Chrysolina hyperici
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Chrysomelidae
Size 15-25 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Forests Grasslands
Diet Dung Feeders Herbivores
Regions Central America, South America Europe (native), introduced to Australia and North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Delta Dung Beetle

A matte black roller dung beetle with a rounded body and distinctively flattened outer edges of the elytra. It rolls dung balls along the forest floor in tropical forests. The species shows strong nocturnal activity.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most rollers, some Deltochilum species have lost the ability to fly and are entirely ground-dwelling.

Knotgrass Leaf Beetle

A rounded, metallic bronze to coppery-green beetle that was introduced to control St. John's wort. It has a smooth, convex body with fine punctation across the elytra.

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Did You Know?

Introduced to Australia in the 1930s, it was one of the earliest successful biological control agents used against a weed in that country.