Huhu Beetle vs Cottony Cushion Scale
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Huhu Beetle | Cottony Cushion Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Prionoplus reticularis | Icerya purchasi |
| Order | Coleoptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Cerambycidae | Monophlebidae |
| Size | 25-50 mm | 5-8 mm including egg sac |
| Habitat | Forests | Orchards |
| Diet | Wood Feeders | Wood Feeders |
| Regions | Oceania (New Zealand) | Originally Australia, now cosmopolitan |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Huhu Beetle
New Zealand's largest endemic beetle, the huhu beetle is a longhorn beetle whose larvae bore into dead and decaying wood. Adults are nocturnal and strongly attracted to lights. The larvae, called huhu grubs, were a traditional food source for Maori.
Did You Know?
Huhu grubs were considered a delicacy by Maori and are said to taste like peanut butter when eaten raw.
Cottony Cushion Scale
A scale insect with a distinctive white fluted egg sac that devastated California's citrus industry in the 1880s. Its control by vedalia beetles was the first major success of biological pest control.
Did You Know?
The introduction of vedalia ladybirds to control it in 1889 saved the California citrus industry from collapse.