African Twig Girdler vs Giant Tropical Click Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Twig Girdler Giant Tropical Click Beetle
Scientific Name Analeptes trifasciata Chalcolepidius porcatus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cerambycidae Elateridae
Size 20-35 mm 30-45 mm
Habitat Farmland Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa Central America, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Twig Girdler

A distinctive African lamiin known for its habit of girdling living tree branches. The female chews a ring around a branch and lays eggs in the portion beyond the girdle, which then dies and falls. Adults have three pale fasciae across the elytra.

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Did You Know?

Girdled branches litter the ground beneath infested trees, and a single female may girdle dozens of branches in her lifetime.

Giant Tropical Click Beetle

A spectacular large click beetle covered in iridescent green or blue-green scales with deeply grooved elytra. It is one of the most strikingly colored members of the family.

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Did You Know?

The dazzling metallic scales can be green, blue, or white depending on species and locality, making Chalcolepidius popular with insect collectors.