Titan Longhorn Beetle vs Malagasy Mound-building Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Titan Longhorn Beetle Malagasy Mound-building Termite
Scientific Name Phoracantha tricuspis Microcerotermes subtilis
Order Coleoptera Blattodea
Family Cerambycidae Termitidae
Size 18-28 mm body length 3-5 mm
Habitat Forests Underground
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Australia Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Titan Longhorn Beetle

A large longhorn beetle with brown coloring and three-pronged elytral spines at the tips. It attacks drought-stressed eucalyptus trees.

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Did You Know?

Like its relative P. semipunctata, it has also spread to eucalyptus plantations on other continents.

Malagasy Mound-building Termite

A small termite species that constructs conspicuous carton mounds on tree trunks or the ground. Workers are pale and soft-bodied with darkened head capsules.

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Did You Know?

Its dark carton mounds are made from a mixture of soil, chewed wood, and fecal material cemented together, and they can persist for years even after the colony dies.