Round-bodied Scydmaenine vs Rugose Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Round-bodied Scydmaenine Rugose Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Scydmaenus tarsatus Anotylus rugosus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Staphylinidae Staphylinidae
Size 1-2 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Forests Woodlands
Diet Predators Scavengers
Regions Europe Cosmopolitan: Europe, Asia, Africa, Americas, Australasia
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.

Rugose Rove Beetle

A small, dark oxytelline rove beetle with a heavily rugose (wrinkled) surface texture. It is extremely common in dung and decaying organic matter across much of the temperate world.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the most cosmopolitan beetle species in the world, found on every continent except Antarctica.