Nuttall Blister Beetle vs Redbay Ambrosia Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Nuttall Blister Beetle Redbay Ambrosia Beetle
Scientific Name Lytta nuttalli Xyleborus glabratus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Meloidae Curculionidae (Scolytinae)
Size 15-25 mm 1.8–2.4 mm
Habitat Grasslands Forests
Diet Herbivores Wood Feeders
Regions Western North America Southeastern United States, Southeast Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Nuttall Blister Beetle

A brilliant metallic purple-blue blister beetle found in the prairies and grasslands of western North America. Adults congregate on legume flowers in large numbers.

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Did You Know?

Periodic mass outbreaks can strip entire fields of alfalfa flowers within days.

Redbay Ambrosia Beetle

An invasive beetle from Southeast Asia that vectors laurel wilt disease in the Americas. It bores into healthy trees of the laurel family.

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Did You Know?

It has devastated redbay tree populations across the southeastern US and now threatens the avocado industry.