Spanish Fly Beetle vs Big Dipper Firefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spanish Fly Beetle Big Dipper Firefly
Scientific Name Berberomeloe majalis Photinus consimilis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Meloidae Lampyridae
Size 30-70mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Grasslands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, Africa North America
Conservation Vulnerable Least Concern

Spanish Fly Beetle

A huge wingless blister beetle with a massively swollen red and black banded abdomen. The largest European meloid.

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Did You Know?

One of the largest beetle species in Europe with a body so heavy it resembles a fat caterpillar more than a beetle.

Big Dipper Firefly

A common North American firefly that produces a slow, arching flash resembling the Big Dipper constellation pattern. It is active in early summer evenings.

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Did You Know?

Each species of Photinus has evolved its own unique flash pattern to avoid mating with the wrong species.