Red Oak Borer vs Red Soldier Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Red Oak Borer | Red Soldier Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Enaphalodes rufulus | Rhagonycha fulva |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Cerambycidae | Cantharidae |
| Size | 18-30 mm | 8-10 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Underground |
| Diet | Wood Feeders | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | Eastern North America | Europe |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Red Oak Borer
A large reddish-brown cerambycid that breeds in living red oaks across eastern North America. It has a strict two-year life cycle with synchronized adult emergence in odd-numbered years in some regions. Larvae bore into heartwood.
Did You Know?
Outbreaks of this beetle in the Ozarks during the early 2000s killed thousands of red oak trees across the region.
Red Soldier Beetle
A very common soldier beetle in Europe with orange-red elytra tipped in black. It is one of the most familiar beetles on hogweed and other umbellifer flowers.
Did You Know?
In the UK it is commonly known as the bloodsucker beetle, though it is completely harmless to humans.