European Powderpost Beetle vs Giant Pill Millipede

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute European Powderpost Beetle Giant Pill Millipede
Scientific Name Lyctus linearis Zephronia siamensis
Order Coleoptera Sphaerotheriida
Family Bostrichidae Zephroniidae
Size 2.5–5 mm 30-50 mm diameter when rolled
Habitat Woodlands Caves
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, North Africa Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia)
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

European Powderpost Beetle

A common European powderpost beetle that infests dry hardwood. It is a significant pest of stored timber and wooden artifacts.

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Did You Know?

Females will only lay eggs in wood with a starch content above 3%, which they test by tasting the surface.

Giant Pill Millipede

A large pill millipede that can roll into a perfect sphere the size of a golf ball when threatened. The body is dark brown to black with smooth, overlapping plates.

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Did You Know?

When rolled into a ball, the armor plates lock together so tightly that most predators cannot pry them apart.