Granulate Ambrosia Beetle vs Moon-Horned Dung Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Granulate Ambrosia Beetle | Moon-Horned Dung Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Xylosandrus crassiusculus | Oxysternon festivum |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Curculionidae | Scarabaeidae |
| Size | 2-3 mm | 20-32 mm |
| Habitat | Orchards | Forests |
| Diet | Fungus Feeders | Dung Feeders |
| Regions | Southeastern United States, spreading northward | South America |
| Conservation | Least Concern (invasive) | Least Concern |
Granulate Ambrosia Beetle
A tiny reddish-brown ambrosia beetle that bores into a wide range of hardwood trees. It cultivates a symbiotic fungus inside its galleries as food for its larvae.
Did You Know?
It is one of the few beetles that practices true agriculture by farming fungus gardens inside tree trunks.
Moon-Horned Dung Beetle
A large, dark metallic green or black tunneler with a distinctive crescent-shaped pronotal horn in males. The underside often shows bright metallic green. It is an important decomposer in Neotropical forests.
Did You Know?
The crescent-shaped horn resembles a lunar crescent, which inspired its common name.