Common harp ground beetle vs Mottled dung beetle

Amara communis compared with Onthophagus nuchicornis

Key Differences

• Common harp ground beetle is Least Concern while Mottled dung beetle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common harp ground beetle	Mottled dung beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Carabidae	Scarabaeidae
Genus	Amara	Onthophagus
Species	Amara communis	Onthophagus nuchicornis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common harp ground beetle and Mottled dung beetle share a common ancestor at the Order level: Coleoptera. (Beetles)

Conservation Status

Common harp ground beetle

LC — Least Concern

Mottled dung beetle

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common harp ground beetle	Mottled dung beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common harp ground beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Mottled dung beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common harp ground beetle

The common harp ground beetle, <em>Amara communis</em>, is an insect belonging to the order Coleoptera, family Carabidae, the ground beetles. This species is distributed across Europe and North America, indicating a wide Holarctic range. Ground beetles of the genus Amara are typically found in a variety of terrestrial habitats including grasslands, agricultural fields, woodland margins, and disturbed areas. Members of this genus are generally omnivorous or seed-feeding, and some are known to consume weed seeds, giving them potential ecological significance in agroecosystems. <em>Amara communis</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting stable populations across its range. No dietary information has been provided specifically for this species in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇺🇸 United States