Two species,Phaleria prolixaFairmaire andPhaleria bimaculataLinnaeus were compared. The first species lives on a Somalian beach with large tidal fluctuations, while the second inhabits a beach on the Tyrrhenian littoral of Italy where tidal excursions are negligible. ForPh. prolixathe data were collected in two different climatic seasons, the dry and the wet season. Instead forPh. bimaculatathe data refer to a 4 month survey. Zonations and activity patterns were obtained from the capture frequencies of directional cross and wall traps. Both species prefer the seaward part of the sandy beach with slight variations in the different seasons forPh. prolixa. Both species are nocturnal but onlyPh. prolixa, being largely tied to a tidal rhythm, shows activity even throughout the day.