Congo Jewel Beetle vs Velvet Longhorn

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Congo Jewel Beetle Velvet Longhorn
Scientific Name Sternocera castanea Trichoferus campestris
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Buprestidae Cerambycidae
Size 30-50 mm 10-20 mm
Habitat Grasslands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Wood Feeders
Regions West and Central Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC, Ghana) Central Asia; invasive in Europe, North America, Middle East
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Congo Jewel Beetle

A large, brilliantly metallic jewel beetle with copper and green iridescent elytra. Adults are found on trees where they feed on foliage. Larvae are wood borers that develop inside tree roots.

💡

Did You Know?

The iridescent elytra of jewel beetles are used in traditional African and Asian jewelry, as their colors never fade.

Velvet Longhorn

A brownish-grey cerambycid covered in fine velvety pubescence, native to Central Asia but now spreading globally through timber trade. It attacks a wide range of deciduous and coniferous trees. Adults are nocturnal fliers.

💡

Did You Know?

This beetle has been intercepted in wood packaging materials on every continent except Antarctica.