Common Christmas Beetle vs Giant Willow Cossid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Christmas Beetle Giant Willow Cossid
Scientific Name Anoplognathus pallidicollis Endoxyla cinereus
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Cossidae
Size 20-30 mm 150–230 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Root Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Australia Australia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Common Christmas Beetle

A glossy golden-brown scarab beetle that swarms around lights during the Australian summer. It is the most commonly encountered Christmas beetle species.

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Did You Know?

Their emergence in December each year gave them the common name Christmas beetle.

Giant Willow Cossid

One of the heaviest moths in the world, native to Australia. Larvae bore into the trunks of eucalyptus and other hardwood trees.

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Did You Know?

Female moths can weigh over 30 grams, making them among the heaviest insects in the world.