Tunnel Beetle vs Ant Cricket
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Tunnel Beetle | Ant Cricket |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lymexylon navale | Myrmecophilus acervorum |
| Order | Coleoptera | Orthoptera |
| Family | Lymexylidae | Gryllidae |
| Size | 7-16mm | 2-3 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Wood Feeders | Parasites |
| Regions | Europe | Europe, Western Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Tunnel Beetle
A slender cylindrical beetle whose larvae bore straight tunnels through oak timber. Historically damaged ship timber.
Did You Know?
Was a major pest of oak shipbuilding timber, boring tunnels that weakened the hulls of wooden warships.
Ant Cricket
A minute, wingless cricket that lives inside ant nests as a social parasite. It is oval-shaped and moves quickly among its host ants.
Did You Know?
It acquires its host ants' cuticular hydrocarbons to smell like them, allowing it to live undetected inside their colony.