Hermit Beetle vs Sumac Gall Aphid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hermit Beetle Sumac Gall Aphid
Scientific Name Osmoderma eremita Melaphis rhois
Order Coleoptera Hemiptera
Family Scarabaeidae Pemphigidae
Size 25-35 mm 1-3 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Gall Makers
Regions Europe Eastern North America
Conservation Near Threatened Not Evaluated

Hermit Beetle

A large, dark chestnut beetle that lives its entire life inside hollow old trees. It emits a strong fruity odor similar to apricots.

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Did You Know?

Most individuals never leave the tree they are born in, making them extremely poor colonizers.

Sumac Gall Aphid

A gall-forming aphid that produces large hollow galls on sumac trees in which colonies live and reproduce. Soldier nymphs defend the gall from invaders using their thickened front legs.

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Did You Know?

Their soldier caste is composed of sterile first-instar nymphs that sacrifice their development to protect the colony.