Large Elm Bark Beetle vs North American Hide Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large Elm Bark Beetle North American Hide Beetle
Scientific Name Scolytus scolytus Trox scaber
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Curculionidae (Scolytinae) Trogidae
Size 3.5–6 mm 5-9 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Woodlands
Diet Fungus Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia North America, Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Large Elm Bark Beetle

The principal vector of Dutch elm disease in Europe. Adults feed in twig crotches of healthy elms, transmitting the deadly fungus.

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Did You Know?

It was responsible for the near-total loss of mature English elms across the United Kingdom in the 1970s.

North American Hide Beetle

A small, oval, grayish-brown beetle with heavily sculptured elytra covered in rows of bumps and encrusted soil. It specializes in consuming dried keratin-rich animal remains. Found in owl pellets, bird nests, and old carcasses.

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Did You Know?

Forensic entomologists use the presence of hide beetles to estimate time since death in very old remains.