Round-bodied Scydmaenine vs Emerald Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Round-bodied Scydmaenine Emerald Swallowtail
Scientific Name Scydmaenus tarsatus Papilio palinurus
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Staphylinidae Papilionidae
Size 1-2 mm 80-100 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Predators Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Round-bodied Scydmaenine

A minute, convex rove beetle of the subfamily Scydmaeninae with a distinctively constricted waist between thorax and abdomen. It is a specialized predator of armored mites in forest soil.

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Did You Know?

This tiny beetle has evolved specialized mandibles that can crack open the heavily armored shells of oribatid mites, prey that most other predators cannot exploit.

Emerald Swallowtail

A stunning swallowtail butterfly with broad bands of emerald green on black wings. The green color is produced by yellow and blue structural layers overlapping. It has graceful spatulate tails on the hindwings.

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Did You Know?

The emerald green color is actually an optical illusion created by alternating layers of yellow and blue on the wing scales.