Painted Hickory Borer vs Rain Beetle Hunter
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Painted Hickory Borer | Rain Beetle Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megacyllene caryae | Calosoma cancellatum |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Cerambycidae | Carabidae |
| Size | 14-22 mm | 18-25 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Grasslands |
| Diet | Omnivores | Predators |
| Regions | Eastern North America | North America, from Canada to Mexico |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Painted Hickory Borer
A handsome cerambycid with white zigzag markings on dark brown elytra, breeding in dead hickory and oak in eastern North America. Adults appear in spring, unlike the autumn-active locust borer. It is frequently found on freshly cut firewood.
Did You Know?
This species and the locust borer are near-perfect lookalikes but are separated by season: spring vs. autumn emergence.
Rain Beetle Hunter
A medium to large caterpillar hunter with dark elytra marked by rows of rectangular pits giving a grid-like appearance. It is one of the most common Calosoma species across North American prairies.
Did You Know?
It emerges in massive numbers after rain events on the Great Plains, earning the nickname rain beetle, and can be found running across roads in huge aggregations.