Western Banded Glowworm vs Red Turpentine Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Western Banded Glowworm Red Turpentine Beetle
Scientific Name Zarhipis integripennis Dendroctonus valens
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Phengodidae Curculionidae
Size 15-30 mm (female), 8-12 mm (male) 6-9 mm
Habitat Heathland Forests
Diet Predators Sap Feeders
Regions North America, Western United States North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Western Banded Glowworm

A North American glowworm beetle where the larviform female produces rows of greenish-yellow bioluminescent spots along her body segments. Males are winged with elaborate feathery antennae.

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Did You Know?

The glowing female looks like a miniature train at night, with paired lateral light organs resembling lit windows on a railcar.

Red Turpentine Beetle

The largest North American Dendroctonus species, it attacks the base of pine trees. It became highly invasive in China after accidental introduction.

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Did You Know?

In China, it has killed over 10 million Pinus tabuliformis trees since its arrival in the 1980s.