Banded Fruit Weevil vs Rugged Oil Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Banded Fruit Weevil Rugged Oil Beetle
Scientific Name Phlyctinus callosus Meloe rugosus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Curculionidae Meloidae
Size 7-10 mm 8-25 mm
Habitat Farmland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Fruit Feeders Herbivores
Regions South Africa (Western Cape) Western Europe, Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Banded Fruit Weevil

A small greyish-brown weevil with pale transverse bands on the elytra. It is a significant pest of fruit crops and grapevines in the Cape.

💡

Did You Know?

Adults are nocturnal feeders that hide in soil cracks during the day, making them difficult to control.

Rugged Oil Beetle

A rare, dark and heavily wrinkled oil beetle that appears in autumn unlike its spring-emerging relatives. It is one of Britain's most endangered beetles.

💡

Did You Know?

It is one of the few European oil beetles that is active during the autumn and winter months.