Redbay Ambrosia Beetle vs Short-Winged Blister Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Redbay Ambrosia Beetle Short-Winged Blister Beetle
Scientific Name Xyleborus glabratus Meloe violaceus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Curculionidae (Scolytinae) Meloidae
Size 1.8–2.4 mm 15-32 mm
Habitat Forests Beaches & Coastal
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Southeastern United States, Southeast Asia Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Near Threatened

Redbay Ambrosia Beetle

An invasive beetle from Southeast Asia that vectors laurel wilt disease in the Americas. It bores into healthy trees of the laurel family.

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Did You Know?

It has devastated redbay tree populations across the southeastern US and now threatens the avocado industry.

Short-Winged Blister Beetle

A blue-violet oil beetle found across Europe, often seen walking on paths and open ground in spring. Like other oil beetles, it oozes cantharidin-laced fluid from its joints when threatened.

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Did You Know?

A single female can lay over 4,000 eggs in a season, but fewer than one percent of larvae survive to adulthood.