Lesser Grain Borer vs Lower Attine Ant
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Grain Borer | Lower Attine Ant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Rhyzopertha dominica | Cyphomyrmex rimosus |
| Order | Coleoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Bostrichidae | Formicidae |
| Size | 2-3 mm | 2-3 mm |
| Habitat | Gardens | Gardens |
| Diet | Seed Feeders | Detritivores |
| Regions | Worldwide tropical and subtropical regions | Southern United States, Central and South America |
| Conservation | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
Lesser Grain Borer
A cylindrical dark brown beetle that bores into whole grain kernels, reducing them to powder. It is especially destructive in warm tropical grain stores.
Did You Know?
It produces a distinctive sweet, musty odor that can taint infested grain.
Lower Attine Ant
A tiny, cryptic fungus-growing ant with a rugose and heavily sculptured dark brown body. Workers cultivate yeast rather than the mycelial fungus of more derived attines. They collect insect frass and dead plant material for their yeast gardens.
Did You Know?
Unlike their famous leafcutter relatives, they grow a yeast-like fungus rather than the mushroom-like fungi cultivated by Atta and Acromyrmex.