Tunnel Beetle vs Fruit Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tunnel Beetle Fruit Fly
Scientific Name Lymexylon navale Drosophila melanogaster
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Lymexylidae Drosophilidae
Size 7-16mm 2-4 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tunnel Beetle

A slender cylindrical beetle whose larvae bore straight tunnels through oak timber. Historically damaged ship timber.

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Did You Know?

Was a major pest of oak shipbuilding timber, boring tunnels that weakened the hulls of wooden warships.

Fruit Fly

The most studied organism in genetics. Six Nobel Prizes have been awarded for research on this tiny fly. 75% of human disease genes have recognizable matches in its genome.

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Did You Know?

The fruit fly shares 60% of its DNA with humans and 75% of human disease genes have a match in the fruit fly genome — making it invaluable for medical research.