Flat Oak Borer vs Rugged Oil Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flat Oak Borer Rugged Oil Beetle
Scientific Name Smodicum cucujiforme Meloe rugosus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cerambycidae Meloidae
Size 7-12 mm 8-25 mm
Habitat Woodlands Beaches & Coastal
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America Western Europe, Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Flat Oak Borer

An unusually flat, reddish-brown cerambycid that breeds under the bark of dead oaks in North America. Its flattened body allows it to navigate the tight spaces between bark and sapwood. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to lights.

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Did You Know?

Its body is so flat that it was originally described as a member of Cucujidae, the flat bark beetle family.

Rugged Oil Beetle

A rare, dark and heavily wrinkled oil beetle that appears in autumn unlike its spring-emerging relatives. It is one of Britain's most endangered beetles.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few European oil beetles that is active during the autumn and winter months.