Southern Pine Beetle vs Red-legged Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Southern Pine Beetle Red-legged Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Dendroctonus frontalis Lathrobium brunnipes
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Curculionidae Staphylinidae
Size 2-4 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Forests Indoors
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions Southeastern United States from Texas to Virginia Europe, Western Siberia
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.

Red-legged Rove Beetle

A slender, elongate paederine rove beetle with brown legs and a parallel-sided body. It is a soil-dwelling predator common in wet habitats across much of Europe.

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Did You Know?

Several Lathrobium species have extremely restricted ranges, with some known from single cave systems or mountaintops, making the genus important for conservation biology.