Silken Fungus Beetle vs Putnam's Cicada

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Silken Fungus Beetle Putnam's Cicada
Scientific Name Cryptophagus lycoperdi Platypedia putnami
Order Coleoptera Hemiptera
Family Cryptophagidae Cicadidae
Size 2-3 mm 18-25 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Fungus Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Europe North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Silken Fungus Beetle

A tiny beetle found inside puffball fungi and in moldy grain stores. Covered in fine silky hairs. Part of a poorly-known beetle family that feeds on fungal spores and molds.

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Did You Know?

So tiny and hidden inside puffball fungi that it is almost never seen despite being common.

Putnam's Cicada

A small, dark cicada found in arid pinyon-juniper woodlands of the western US. It produces quiet clicks rather than the loud buzzing of typical cicadas.

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Did You Know?

Instead of singing, males attract females by tapping their wings together to produce soft clicking sounds.