Rain Beetle Hunter vs Broad-shouldered Leaf Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rain Beetle Hunter Broad-shouldered Leaf Beetle
Scientific Name Calosoma cancellatum Chrysomela tremula
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Carabidae Chrysomelidae
Size 18-25 mm 7-11 mm
Habitat Grasslands Farmland
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions North America, from Canada to Mexico Europe, Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rain Beetle Hunter

A medium to large caterpillar hunter with dark elytra marked by rows of rectangular pits giving a grid-like appearance. It is one of the most common Calosoma species across North American prairies.

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Did You Know?

It emerges in massive numbers after rain events on the Great Plains, earning the nickname rain beetle, and can be found running across roads in huge aggregations.

Broad-shouldered Leaf Beetle

A robust, convex beetle with dark metallic greenish-black to bronze elytra and irregular rows of punctures. It is closely associated with aspen and poplar trees.

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Did You Know?

Populations of this beetle can reach outbreak levels in aspen plantations, completely stripping trees of their foliage.