Western Pine Beetle vs Desert Longhorn Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Western Pine Beetle	Desert Longhorn Beetle
Scientific Name	Dendroctonus brevicomis	Crossidius hirtipes
Order	Coleoptera	Coleoptera
Family	Curculionidae	Cerambycidae
Size	3-5 mm	12-20 mm
Habitat	Forests	Meadows
Diet	Wood Feeders	Pollen Feeders
Regions	Western United States from British Columbia to Mexico	North America
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Western Pine Beetle

A small dark brown bark beetle that attacks ponderosa pine trees. It is one of the most destructive bark beetles in western forests.

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It uses aggregation pheromones to coordinate mass attacks that can overwhelm a healthy tree's resin defenses.

A hairy, brightly marked longhorn beetle of the American Southwest. Adults visit desert wildflowers for pollen and nectar.

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Its larvae take up to three years to develop inside the roots of rabbitbrush plants.