Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle vs European Powderpost Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle European Powderpost Beetle
Scientific Name Abax parallelepipedus Lyctus linearis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Carabidae Bostrichidae
Size 18-22 mm 2.5–5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Predators Wood Feeders
Regions Western and Central Europe Europe, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle

A large, shiny black ground beetle with a distinctive parallel-sided body shape. It is one of the most common large carabids in European woodlands, active at night under logs and stones.

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Did You Know?

Its perfectly rectangular body shape is so precise and regular that it was given the species name 'parallelepipedus,' meaning resembling a geometric parallelepiped.

European Powderpost Beetle

A common European powderpost beetle that infests dry hardwood. It is a significant pest of stored timber and wooden artifacts.

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Did You Know?

Females will only lay eggs in wood with a starch content above 3%, which they test by tasting the surface.