Coconut Hispine Beetle vs Fever Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Coconut Hispine Beetle Fever Fly
Scientific Name Brontispa longissima Dilophus febrilis
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Chrysomelidae Bibionidae
Size 8-10 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Coconut Hispine Beetle

An elongate, flattened beetle with a dark head and thorax and paler brown elytra. It is a serious pest of coconut palms throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific, damaging young fronds.

💡

Did You Know?

Heavy infestations can kill coconut palms, and the beetle has been the target of major biological control programs using parasitoid wasps.

Fever Fly

A small, shiny black march fly with spiny front tibiae used for digging. It was once believed to cause fevers in humans, hence its common name, though it is completely harmless.

💡

Did You Know?

Its spiny front legs are used by females to dig into soil for egg-laying, an unusual adaptation among flies.