Kaup Bess Beetle vs Cabbage Stem Weevil

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Kaup Bess Beetle Cabbage Stem Weevil
Scientific Name Passalus interstitialis Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Passalidae Curculionidae
Size 30-40 mm 2.5-3.5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Central America, Mexico Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Kaup Bess Beetle

A large, elongate, shiny black bess beetle with prominent mandibles and longitudinal grooves on the elytra. It is the most common Passalid in Central America. Colonies of adults and larvae inhabit decaying logs.

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Did You Know?

Bess beetles are subsocial insects where parents and offspring live together and cooperate in maintaining their log galleries.

Cabbage Stem Weevil

A grey weevil that mines inside brassica stems. Larvae tunnel through stems causing weakening. One of several Ceutorhynchus species affecting oilseed rape.

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Did You Know?

Larval tunneling weakens plant stems to the point where they may snap in windy conditions.