Pine Shoot Beetle vs Smelly Carpenter Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pine Shoot Beetle Smelly Carpenter Ant
Scientific Name Tomicus piniperda Dolichoderus thoracicus
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Curculionidae (Scolytinae) Formicidae
Size 3.5–5 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia, North America Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Pine Shoot Beetle

A bark beetle that breeds in pine logs and stumps, then feeds inside live pine shoots. It is an invasive pest in North America.

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Did You Know?

Adults hollow out the centers of pine shoots, causing them to break off in the wind and litter the forest floor.

Smelly Carpenter Ant

A Southeast Asian dolichoderine ant that tends mealybugs inside shelters built from chewed plant material. It is a significant pest of cacao and coconut plantations.

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Did You Know?

They build elaborate carton tents over mealybug colonies on crop plants, protecting their honeydew source from rain and predators.