Flat Bark Beetle vs Pale-winged Barklouse

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flat Bark Beetle Pale-winged Barklouse
Scientific Name Cucujus cinnaberinus Peripsocus phaeopterus
Order Coleoptera Psocoptera
Family Cucujidae Peripsocidae
Size 11-15 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe Europe
Conservation Vulnerable Least Concern

Flat Bark Beetle

A bright red, extremely flat beetle that lives beneath the bark of dead trees. It is an indicator species of old-growth forests.

💡

Did You Know?

Its body is so flat it can fit into spaces less than 2mm thick between bark layers.

Pale-winged Barklouse

A common European bark louse with smoky brown wings. It lives on tree trunks where it scrapes algae and lichen from the bark.

💡

Did You Know?

Females guard their egg clusters on tree bark until they hatch.