Southern Pine Beetle vs Igneus Rainbow Scarab

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Southern Pine Beetle Igneus Rainbow Scarab
Scientific Name Dendroctonus frontalis Phanaeus igneus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Curculionidae Scarabaeidae
Size 2-4 mm 12-20 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions Southeastern United States from Texas to Virginia Southeastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Southern Pine Beetle

A tiny dark brown bark beetle that is the most destructive insect pest of southern pine forests. Infestations can kill thousands of trees in a single outbreak.

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Did You Know?

Its S-shaped larval galleries beneath the bark are so distinctive they can be used to identify the species.

Igneus Rainbow Scarab

A brilliantly metallic green, blue, and red tunneling dung beetle of the southeastern United States. Males have a long, slender horn on the head. It tunnels beneath dung on sandy soils in pine forests.

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Did You Know?

The fiery metallic colors that give it the name igneus make it one of the most colorful beetles in North America.