Sal Borer vs Ribbed Pine Borer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sal Borer Ribbed Pine Borer
Scientific Name Hoplocerambyx spinicornis Rhagium inquisitor
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cerambycidae Cerambycidae
Size 35-60 mm 10–21 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions South Asia (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, particularly central Indian forests) Europe, North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

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Did You Know?

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

Ribbed Pine Borer

A longhorn beetle found across northern forests that develops under the bark of dead conifers. Adults are active in spring on freshly cut logs.

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Did You Know?

Larvae create distinctive flattened pupal chambers under the bark, lined with coarse wood fibers.