Banded Fungus Beetle vs Common Bark Louse

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Banded Fungus Beetle Common Bark Louse
Scientific Name Triplax russica Graphopsocus cruciatus
Order Coleoptera Psocoptera
Family Erotylidae Stenopsocidae
Size 3-5 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Fungus Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Banded Fungus Beetle

A small, attractively colored beetle with a red thorax and dark blue-black elytra. Lives on bracket fungi on dead trees. Part of a family known for bright coloring.

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Did You Know?

The contrasting red and blue-black coloring makes this one of the most attractive fungus beetles.

Common Bark Louse

A winged bark louse with distinctive cross-shaped wing markings found on tree trunks across Europe. It feeds on algae and lichen on bark.

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Did You Know?

Its cross-shaped wing pattern makes it one of the easiest bark lice to identify.