Oak Pinhole Borer vs Flat Bark Beetle of Madeira

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Oak Pinhole Borer Flat Bark Beetle of Madeira
Scientific Name Platypus cylindrus Tarphius rufonodulosus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Curculionidae Zopheridae
Size 4-6 mm 0.3-0.5 cm
Habitat Gardens Forests
Diet Omnivores Fungus Feeders
Regions Europe Portugal
Conservation Least Concern Critically Endangered

Oak Pinhole Borer

A tiny ambrosia beetle that bores into oak trees and cultivates fungal gardens inside its tunnels. The only European species of its subfamily. Males guard the tunnel entrance.

💡

Did You Know?

One of the few farming insects in Europe, cultivating fungal crops inside tunnels bored into oak wood.

Flat Bark Beetle of Madeira

A small flattened beetle endemic to the laurel forests of Madeira. It lives under the bark of dead Laurus and Ocotea trees.

💡

Did You Know?

Madeira's laurel forests are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and harbor dozens of unique beetle species.