Sal Borer vs Miami Blue

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sal Borer Miami Blue
Scientific Name Hoplocerambyx spinicornis Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Cerambycidae Lycaenidae
Size 35-60 mm 2-2.5 cm wingspan
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Beaches & Coastal
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions South Asia (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, particularly central Indian forests) United States
Conservation Least Concern Critically Endangered

Sal Borer

A large, dark brown longhorn beetle that is the most destructive pest of sal trees, India's most important timber species. Larvae bore extensive galleries through the sapwood and heartwood, killing mature trees.

💡

Did You Know?

During outbreaks, this beetle can kill millions of sal trees across thousands of hectares, causing catastrophic timber losses.

Miami Blue

A small blue butterfly once common throughout coastal South Florida. It is now restricted to a few islands in the Florida Keys.

💡

Did You Know?

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 devastated much of its remaining habitat, accelerating its decline.