Khapra Beetle vs Thatching Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Khapra Beetle Thatching Ant
Scientific Name Trogoderma granarium Formica obscuripes
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Dermestidae Formicidae
Size 2-3 mm 4-8 mm
Habitat Gardens Meadows
Diet Seed Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions South Asia; quarantine pest worldwide Western North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Khapra Beetle

A small, oval, hairy beetle considered one of the world's most destructive stored-product pests. Larvae can enter dormancy for years.

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Did You Know?

It is so destructive that it is on quarantine watchlists in over 60 countries.

Thatching Ant

A mound-building ant of western North America that constructs large thatched nests from plant debris. Workers are bicolored red and black with powerful mandibles.

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Did You Know?

Their mounds can reach over a meter tall and persist for decades, becoming important microhabitats for other organisms.