Painted Hickory Borer vs Short-winged Firefly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Painted Hickory Borer | Short-winged Firefly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megacyllene caryae | Lucidota atra |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Cerambycidae | Lampyridae |
| Size | 14-22 mm | 8-13 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Underground |
| Diet | Omnivores | Herbivores |
| Regions | Eastern North America | North America |
| 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.
Short-winged Firefly
A dark-bodied, day-active firefly that has lost the ability to produce light as an adult. It has a black body with a reddish-orange pronotum and is often found on tree trunks and vegetation.
Did You Know?
Despite being a firefly, this diurnal species relies on chemical pheromones rather than light signals to find mates.