Large Tropical Rove Beetle vs Giant African Antlion

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large Tropical Rove Beetle Giant African Antlion
Scientific Name Hesperus rufipennis Palpares speciosus
Order Coleoptera Neuroptera
Family Staphylinidae Myrmeleontidae
Size 18-25 mm 100-130 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Deserts & Drylands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions West Africa, Central Africa Southern Africa, East Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Large Tropical Rove Beetle

A large, impressive tropical rove beetle with red elytra and a black head and pronotum. It is one of the larger staphylinids in the African tropical forest fauna.

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Did You Know?

This beetle can deliver a painful bite with its powerful mandibles if handled carelessly, one of the few rove beetles capable of breaking human skin.

Giant African Antlion

A massive African antlion with strikingly marked black-and-yellow wings. One of the largest neuropteran insects in the world.

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Did You Know?

It is among the largest living neuropterans, with some individuals exceeding 13 cm in wingspan.